pre-intermediate

1. PRESENT PERFECT 3
English File Pre-intermediate 4B

2. USE THE PRESENT
PERFECT
to talk about past experiences when we
don’t specify a time
Have you ever been to a fancy dress party?
She has seen that film twice
I‘ve never met Nina’s husband

3. EVER/NEVER
For negative meaning:
USE EVER WITH NEGATIVE VERBS
NEVER WITH POSITIVE VERBS
Have you ever been to a fancy dress party?
No, I have never been to a fancy dress party
No, I haven’t ever been to a fancy dress
party

4. Present perfect +
superlatives
We often use the + superlative adjective
with the present perfect + ever
She’s the cutest girl I’ve ever seen
It’s the most difficult exam I’ve ever done
The meaning is positive. Do not use never in this case

5. Louise has gone to Paris
(She is in Paris now)
Been vs gone – compare:

6. Louise has been to Paris
(She went to Paris and came back)
Been vs gone – compare:

7. How long …. ? for/since
We use the present perfect with
for or since to talk about actions
or states which started in the past
and are still true now
I’ve lived in Brenes for 20 years
(=I came to live in Brenes 20 years ago and I live in
Brenes now)

8. How long …. ? for/since

9. How long …. ? for/since
Use for + a period of time
Use since + a point in time
I’ve lived in Brenes for 20 years
I’ve lived in Brenes since 1997

10. How long …. ? for/since
for two weeks, for ten years, for a long
time, for ages …
since 1980, since last June, since I was
a child …

11. Present perfect or past
simple?
Use the past simple to talk about a
finished period of time in the past.
Use the present perfect to talk about
a period of time from the past until
now.

12. Present perfect or past
simple?
Conversations often begin in the
present perfect (with a general
question) and then change to the
past simple for specific details
(when, what, where, who
with…)

13. A. Have you ever been to Paris?
B. Yes, I have
A. When did you go there?
B. I went last year
A. Did you have a good time?
B. Yes, it was great
Present perfect or past
simple?

14. A. Have you seen his new
film?
B. Yes, I have
A. What did you think of it?
B. I loved it.
Present perfect or past
simple?

15. Present perfect or past
simple?
Signal words for the present perfect:
Just/already/yet
For/since
Ever/never
Recently
So far

16. Present perfect or past
simple?
Signal words for the past simple:
In + a year (in 1980)
Last … (last Monday, last night)
… ago (two days ago)
yesterday