1. PRESENT PERFECT LET’S THINK BEFORE Think of one event that you never did or could never do in your life. Think of an event that you started doing in the past (not mentioning when) and you are still doing it. I never went to the USA. I have never been to the USA. I started working as a teacher in 2002 and I am still doing it. I have worked as a teacher for 11 years. / since 2002. I have been working as a teacher for 11 years. / since 2002.

2. Think of an event that happened in the past and it brought a result or consequence in the present. Other examples using present perfect structure: PRESENT PERFECT LET’S THINK BEFORE When my daughter was born, my life changed a lot. My life has changed a lot since my daughter was born. I am tired because I have worked a lot. I have lived in São Bernardo for 7 years. (since 2005). I have been married for 7 years. / since 2005.

3. PRESENT PERFECT 1. This verb tense doesn’t exist in Portuguese tense; ASPECTS TO BE CONSIDERED: 2. Present Perfect is associated to a past action which has a connection with the present tense: 3. The Present Perfect has also to do with a past action that brings a result to the present moment: 4. Depending on the situation, there’s no need to mention a specific date. Example: I have worked a lot yesterday! (wrong) I worked a lot yesterday! (right) My life has changed a lot since my daughter was born. My English has improved a lot since I started to practice it at work.

4. PRESENT PERFECT 6. A comparioson between the Portuguese language when transformed in English using the Present Perfect: ASPECTS TO BE CONSIDERED: Eu moro em São Bernardo há 7 anos. Trabalho na (empresa) desde 2008. Estou casado há 10 anos. These actions had a specific beginning in the past, but it wasn’t necessary to mention a specific date. I have lived in São Bernardo for 7 years. I have worked for/at (company name) since 2008. I have been married for 10 years. 5. A past expression is mentioned when it’s necessary to know the beginning of an action. Example: I have worked a lot since this morning!

5. PRESENT PERFECT ASPECTS TO BE CONSIDERED: BEEN or GONE???? 7. have+been is used to say that a person went somewhere and returned: I have been to Caldas Novas twice. 8. have+gone is used to say that a person went somewhere and is still there: Sorry, but he has already gone! He won’t come back today!

6. PRESENT PERFECT ASPECTS TO BE CONSIDERED: PRESENT PERFECT WORDS Already = action finished minutes or hours ago I have already finished the exercises (I finished them yesterday) Just = action finished seconds ago I have just done the exercises (I finished the exercises right now) Yet = negative / Can be used in questions I haven’t done the exercises yet. (I didn’t finish the exercises / I’m still doing them) Have you finished the exercises yet? Ever = for questions (an action that never happened in your life) Have you ever been to Disney? Never = for affirmatives statements (which gives negative ideas) I’ve never been to Disney.

7. PRESENT PERFECT WORDS For = for period of time I’ve talked in English on the phone for 5 times. I’ve worked at FORD for 5 years. I’ve been studying English for 3 years. Since = for months, years, weeks… I’ve been studying English since 2003. Also for actions that started in a specific point in the past I’ve been working since this morning. We haven’t talked since 3 o’clock. Lately = for recent actions What have you been doing lately? Recently = for recent actions What have you been doing recently? PRESENT PERFECT ASPECTS TO BE CONSIDERED:

8. PRESENT PERFECT OTHER ASSOCIATIONS:

9. PRESENT PERFECT OTHER ASSOCIATIONS:

10. PRESENT PERFECT OTHER ASSOCIATIONS:

11. PRESENT PERFECT OTHER ASSOCIATIONS:

12. PRESENT PERFECT OTHER ASSOCIATIONS:

13. PRESENT PERFECT OTHER ASSOCIATIONS:

14. PRESENT PERFECT EXERCISES – since/for 1997 LAST YEAR AUGUST I WAS BORN CORINTHIANS WON THE LIBERTADORES THE DAY I MET YOU THE CLASS STARTED I CRASHED MY CAR 20 YEARS TWO NIGHTS THREE HOURS TWO WEEKS 10 MINUTES 1 CENTURY 2 DECADES SINCE FOR SINCE FOR SINCE FOR

15. Write: a place you never went to: _______________ a place you visited recently:_______________ a book you never read(/red/):_________________ a book you read(/red/) recently:_______________ a film you never saw:_________________ a film you saw recently:________________ an activity you didn't finish:___________________ an activity you finished recently:_________________ a person you don't see for a long time:_________________ a person you saw recently:__________________ PRESENT PERFECT TO MAKE IT CLEARER!!!

16. Speaking wrong English in correct Portuguese: I never went to the USA. (Eu nunca fui pros Estados Unidos) I already went to Santa Catarina.(Eu já fui pra Santa Catarina) ou (Eu já estive em Santa Catarina) I never read(/red/) "O menino do pijama listrado". (Eu nunca li...) I already read(/red/) the whole Bible.(Eu já li a Bíblia inteira). I never saw "Twilight". (Eu nunca vi...) I already saw "Titanic". (Eu já vi...) I don't see my cousin Patricia for a long time.(Eu não vejo minha prima Patrícia há anos) I just saw my friend Carlos.(Acabei de ver meu colega Carlos) PRESENT PERFECT TO MAKE IT CLEARER!!!

17. In Portuguese we don’t have Present Perfect as a tense, that’s why we use the past structure. All the sentences before should be said this way: Eu nunca fui pros Estados Unidos = I have never been to the USA. Eu já fui pra Santa Catarina = I have already been to Santa Catarina. Eu nunca li ‘O menino do pijama listrado’ = I have never read(/red/) "O menino do pijama listrado". Eu já li a Bíblia inteira = I have already read(/red/) the whole Bible. Eu ainda não assisti “Twilight“ = I haven't seen "Twilight“ yet. Eu já assisti “Titabnic”. = I have already seen “Titanic”. Eu não vejo minha prima Patrícia há anos = I haven't seen my cousin for a long time. Acabei de ver meu colega Carlos = I have just seen my friend Carlos. PRESENT PERFECT TO MAKE IT CLEARER!!! SEE YA! pedro.dantas_jr@yahoo.com.br