When we speak we use verb forms to refer to actions, which may be related to the present, the past or the future. Thus, when we allude to the past, it is possible to use the past simple (for example, I walked, she worked or he went up) or, on the other hand, we can use the present perfect (I have seen, he has worked or we have gotten). .
How is the past perfect tense formed?
The present perfect tense is a compound tense and is formed with the present tense of the verb to have (I have, you have, he has, we have, you have and they have) plus the participle form (seen, won, left…). In this sense, it should be noted that there are two types of participles: regular and irregular. In the first case we would talk about those ending in “ado” or “gone”, as worked, obtained or drunk. In the second case we would talk about seen, returned, done and many others.
When is the present perfect used?
The present perfect is used when we want to express that the past has happened recently. Thus, if I took a walk this morning, I would say “I took a walk”, since the action I am mentioning has already occurred but it is still part of the present, since it is something that has happened today. This means that the present perfect alludes to past experiences that are in connection with the present time. It is common to use it with temporary markers that have happened today (for example, this morning or this afternoon).
You can also use the present perfect with other temporal markers that have the word este-a, estas-as, such as “this week I went to the beach” or “these days I ran quite a few kilometers”. In this way, temporal markers such as today or this-to tell us when something has happened, but that something has some relation to the present.
Sometimes the present perfect is used without temporal markers; For example, if I say “I have seen Real Madrid matches many times” I am not saying when I have seen them).
A curiosity about the present perfect
Although the present perfect is a tense that is part of Spanish grammar, in practice it is used normally in Spain and very rarely in Latin America. Thus, an Argentine says “I studied all morning” while a Spaniard says “I studied all morning.” Argentine uses the indefinite past tense (also called simple past tense or simple past tense) and Spanish uses the compound past tense.
Photos: iStock – psphotograph / Szepy
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