Slide 1

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-English VerbsA Review of the SystemThe verb TO HAVEPresent Perfect Tense

The system of tenses and aspectsTensePresentPast

AspectSimple vs. continuousPerfect (vs. non-perfect)

Tense and AspectAspects of the present tense:Present simple: I eatPresent continuous: I am eatingPresent perfect: I have eatenPresent perfect continuous: I have been eating

Aspects of the past tense:Past simple: I atePast continuous: I was eatingPast perfect: I had eatenPast perfect continuous: I had been eating

Formation of TensesSimple tenses: basic verb forms, present and past: live lived, eat ate

Continuous tenses: to be + -ing form

Perfect tenses: to have + past participleOverview of TensesPresent tensesEnglishPortugueseSimpleI speakfaloContinuousI am speakingestou falandoPerfect simpleI have spokenfaleiPerfect continuousI have been speakingtenho faladoPast tensesSimpleI spokefalei / falavaContinuousI was speakingestava falando / falavaPerfect simpleI had spokentinha falado / faleiPerfect continuousI had been speakingtinha falado / falavaPortuguese > English Equivalences (1)falo > I speakestou falando > I am speaking Exception:Actions which started in the past and are still going on at the present time:Ive studied English for ten years/since 2001.How long have you been waiting here?Port: Present tense > Eng: Present perfect tensePortuguese > English Equivalences (2)eu falava > I spoke/I used to speak /I would speakeu estava falando > I was speaking Exception:Actions which started at an earlier time and are still going on at the moment in the past which is being described:I had studied English for two years before going to the States.How long had you been waiting for the bus?Port: Imperfect tense > Eng: Past perfect tense

Portuguese Imperfecteu falava >I spokeI used to speak = eu costumava falar/falava antesI would speak = eu falaria= eu costumava falarI was speaking = eu estava falando

NB: used to also describes situations that are no longer true:This building used to be a movie theater.Paula used to have long hair.I used to think English was difficult.

Examples of past imperfect actionShe spoke Italian with her grandmother. (ambiguous)She used to speak Italian with her grandmother. (habitual action or action that is no longer true)

She would speak Italian with her grandmother. (habitual action)

She was speaking Italian with her grandmother. (ongoing action)

If she could, she would speak Italian with her grandmother. (conditional)The verb to have (1)Used as an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses:I hadnt been to Buenos Aires before.Have you read Harry Potter?With its main verb meaning, it has the syntactic properties of a main verb*:I dont have time right now.Did you have a good time last night?The verb to have (2)*Sometimes found with auxiliary syntax and main verb meaning - old-fashioned/formal:I havent time right now.Have you enough money to get home?In British English especially, have got is much more common in main verb meaning:I havent got time right now.Have you got enough money to get home?

English Present Perfect Rules of Thumb (1)More advanced Brazilian learners tend to overuse present perfect (where it is not appropriate). But some American native speakers hardly ever use the present perfect, so, if in doubt, use the simple past.The present perfect CANNOT be used if there is any reference, explicit or implied, to the time when the action happened EXCEPT: English Present Perfect Rules of Thumb (2)If the time reference is a period of time which has not yet ended at the time of speaking:Have you seen Bob this morning?(cf. Did you see Bob this morning?) If the time reference is introduced by for or since referring to action that started in the past and is still continuing:We have lived in Rio for seven years.(cf. We lived in Rio for seven years.)

Using the Present PerfectThe point in the past is irrelevant what counts is the impact on the present:Have you met my wife? (introduction)I havent been to Buenos Aires.Wheres Tim? Hes gone to the store.Youve given me the wrong change. (paying)

Using the Present Perfect (2)Present perfect is often used to introduce a topic, emphasizing its relevance to the present. Details then follow in simple past:Have you met my wife? Yes, I met her earlier.Yes, I have been to Buenos Aires. I went there last year.Tims gone to the store. He went to buy milk.Youve given me the wrong change. I gave you a ten-dollar bill.The prime-minister has resigned. He announced his resignation this morning.