Love the Present Perfect
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As you may have already guessed, I certainly do love the Present Perfect. It is the tense which makes English sound English and I strongly recommend that you grow to love it too.
Don’t forget, we use the Present Perfect when we talk about:
1. Experience.
For example: I’ve never been to Japan or I’ve tried lots of different Chinese food. It doesn’t matter when these things happen.
2. A new and changed situation.
For example: He’s broken his leg, he can’t possibly play football or I’ve been to the hairdressers and had my hair cut short.
3. How long a situation (not an action) has been going on.
For example: We’ve been married since 1990 or how long have you lived here ?
4. Something which has happened only a short time ago.
For example: Where have you been ? or I’ve just finished the cooking.
The Present Perfect doesn’t exist in German, so don’t try to translate but rather think English.
If an action in the past is finished, over , done and has nothing to do with today, then we use the Simple Past. For example: I went to the cinema yesterday.
But if the action started in the past and still has some relevance to today, then we use the Present Perfect. For example: I haven’t been to the cinema this year.
