Present perfect
Formación del "present perfect"
El "present perfect" de cualquier verbo está compuesto por dos elementos: la forma apropiada del verbo auxiliar to have (en presente) y el "past participle" del verbo principal. La forma del "past participle" de un verbo regular es raíz+ed, e.g. played, arrived, looked. En cuanto a los verbos irregulares, consulta la Tabla de verbos irregulares de la sección 'Verbos'.
| Afirmativa | ||
| Sujeto | to have | past participle |
| She | has | visited. |
| Negativa | ||
| Sujeto | to have + not | past participle |
| She | has not (hasn't) | visited. |
| Interrogativa | ||
| to have | sujeto | past participle |
| Has | she | visited? |
| Interrogativa negativa | ||
| to have + not | sujeto | past participle |
| Hasn't | she | visited? |
To Walk, "present perfect"
| Afirmativa | Negativa | Interrogativa |
|---|---|---|
| I have walked | I haven't walked | Have I walked? |
| You have walked | You haven't walked. | Have you walked? |
| He, she, it has walked | He, she, hasn't walked | Has he, she, it walked? |
| We have walked | We haven't walked | Have we walked? |
| You have walked | You haven't walked | Have you walked? |
| They have walked | They haven't walked | Have they walked? |
Funciones del "present perfect"
El "present perfect" se emplea para señalar un vínculo entre el presente y el pasado. El tiempo en que transcurre la acción es anterior al presente pero inespecífico y, a menudo, recae un mayor interés sobre el resultado que sobre la propia acción.
El "present perfect" se utiliza para describir
- Una acción o situación iniciada en el pasado y que continúa en el presente. I have lived in Bristol since 1984 (= todavía vivo allí.)
- Una acción realizada durante un periodo de tiempo aún no concluido. Shehas beento the cinema twice this week (= la semana todavía no ha terminado.)
- Una acción repetida en un periodo temporal inespecífico situado entre el pasado y el presente. We have visited Portugal several times.
- Una acción que ha concluido en un pasado muy reciente, lo que se indica mediante 'just'. I have just finished my work.
- Una acción para la cual no es importante el momento preciso en que aconteció. He has read 'War and Peace'. (= lo relevante es el resultado de la acción)
Nota: Cuando queremos dar o pedir información sobre cuándo, dónde o quién, empleamos el "simple past". Consulta cómo elegir entre el "simple past" y el "present perfect".
Acciones iniciadas en el pasado y que continúan en el presente
- They haven't lived here for years.
- She has worked in the bank for five years.
- We have had the same car for ten years.
- Have you played the piano since you were a child?
Cuando se hace referencia a un periodo temporal inacabado
- I have worked hard this week.
- It has rained a lot this year.
- We haven't seen her today.
Acciones reiteradas en un periodo inespecífico, entre el pasado y el presente.
- They have seen that film six times
- It has happened several times already.
- She has visited them frequently.
- We have eaten at that restaurant many times.
Acciones concluidas en un pasado muy reciente (+just)
- Have you just finished work?
- I have just eaten.
- We have just seen her.
- Has he just left?
Cuando la dimensión temporal no es relevante o conocida
- Someone has eaten my soup!
- Have you seen 'Gone with the Wind'?
- She's studied Japanese, Russian, and English.
Consulta cómo utilizar el "present perfect" con los términos "ever", "never", "already", y "yet" y cómo utilizar el "present perfect" con los términos "for" y "since".