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§17. The formation of the Present Perfect.

              1. The Present Perfect is formed by means of the Present Indefinite of the auxiliary verb to have and Participle II of the notional verb.

              2. In the interrogative form the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject.

In the negative form the negative particle not is placed after the auxiliary verb.

Affirmative

Interrogative

Negative

I have worked

He has worked

She has worked

We have worked

You have worked

They have worked

Have I worked?

Has he worked?

Has she worked?

Have we worked?

Have you worked?

Have they worked?

I have not worked

He has not worked

She has not worked

We have not worked

You have not worked

They have not worked

3. The contracted affirmative forms are:

I've worked

He's worked

You've worked

The contracted negative forms are:

I haven't worked

He hasn't worked

You haven't worked

4. The negative-interrogative forms are:

Has she not worked?

Hasn't she worked?

Have you not worked?

Haven't you worked?

§ 18. The use of the Present Perfect.

I. The Present Perfect denotes a completed action connected with the present.

Stop that car! They have killed a child. (Dreiser)

I am a little frightened for I have lost my way. (Dickens)

The Present Perfect is frequently used with the adverbs just, yet, already and of late. The adverb yet is used only in interrogative and negative sentences.

Mr. Worthing, I suppose, has not returned from town yef! (Wilde)

I have just written to him. (Dickens)

He has done a great deal of work of late. (Locke)

N o t e. In American English the Past Indefinite is often used to give new information or to announce a recent happening.

I lost my key. Can you help me look for it?

The Past Indefinite is used with just, already and yet.

I'm not hungry. I just had lunch.

Don't forget to post the letter. — I already posted it.

I didn't tell them about the accident yet.

The Present Perfect can be rendered in Russian by the past perfec­tive or imperfective.

How many pages have you translated for today? — Сколько страниц вы перевели к сегодняшнему дню? Have you ever translated technical articles? — Вы переводили когда-нибудь технические статьи?

2. The Present Perfect is used in adverbial clauses of time after the conjunctions when, till, until, before, after; as soon as to denote an action completed before a definite moment in the future.

Don't buy any more meat tomorrow until you have spoken to the mistress about it. (Bennett)

I am not going till you have answered me. (Galsworthy)

Note. Verbs of sense perception and motion such as to hear; to see, to come, to arrive, to return in adverbial clauses of time are generally used in the Present Indefinite and not in the Present Perfect.

I am sure he will recognize the poem when he hears the first line. — Я уверен, что он узнает стихотворение, когда услышит первую строчку.

We'll ask Mr. Franklin, my dear, if you can wait till Mr. Franklin comes. (Collins)

When the completion of the action is emphasized, the Present Perfect is used.

He will know the poem by heart when he has heard it twice. — Он будет знать стихотворение наизусть, когда дважды прослу­шает его.

3. The Present Perfect denotes an action which began in the past, has been going on up to the present and is still going on. In this case either the starting point of the action is indicated or the whole period of duration. The preposition for is used to denote the whole period of duration. Since is used to indicate the starting point of the action. If the conjunction since introduces a clause, the verb in this clause is in the Past Indefinite.

Mr. Cowperwood, I have known you now for something like fourteen years. (Dreiser)

We have been engaged these four years. (Austen)

Where have you been since last Thursday? (Wilde)

Have you been alone, Florence, since I was here last? (Dick­ens)

Note. There is a tendency in informal American English, and increas­ingly in informal British English, to use the Past Indefinite in the principal clause, if the adverbial clause of time is introduced by the conjunction since.