Present perfect: simple, continuous, active and passive
The present perfect connects the past with now. The simple form is have or has + the past participle. We use it for a result that matters now (I have lost my key), for experience (She has visited the museum) and for how many (He has read four books). The continuous form is have or has been + -ing. We use it to stress how long an activity has lasted (They have been waiting for an hour) or to explain a visible result (Her hands are dirty because she has been cleaning). The simple form gives the finished amount: I have read two chapters. The continuous form gives the activity: I have been reading since noon. Verbs of state, such as know, like and own, stay simple: I have known her for years, not I have been knowing. The passive is have or has been + the past participle: The printer has been repaired. Use it when the action matters more than the person. Common slips are have know, has been study and have be painted. Your book practises all of this on pages 18 and 19.
| Form | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| have / has + past participle | a result now, experience, how many | She has read three books this week. |
| have / has been + -ing | how long, or a visible result | She has been reading since noon. |
| have / has been + past participle | the action matters, not who did it | The hall has been repainted. |
| for / since | for + a period, since + a starting point | for two hours; since Monday |
Hi Nada, here is the report for the library desk. I have tidied the story corner and I have sorted all the returned books. I have been repairing the torn picture books since ten, and about half of them are ready. The printer has been cleaned, but it has not been tested yet. Two new members have been registered. Please check the lamps before you leave. Thanks, Yasmin
Shift note. Write a note of 60 to 90 words from a morning helper to an afternoon helper at a school library or a club. Use two simple, one continuous and one passive present perfect sentence. Underline them. If you can, write up to 120 words.