Today, we will look more closely at the use of the present perfect tense. Don’t worry – we’ll get back to sentence combining.

The present perfect tense is used to express an action that took place at an indefinite time in the past.

The neighbors recently sold their house.

Notice that recently shows a past time but nothing definite.
Compare this to a sentence that requires the use of the past simple tense.

The neighbors sold their house last Tuesday.

The present perfect is also used to express an action that started in the past and continues into the present and the future.

My sisters have driven for fifteen years.
They started in the past and they are still driving.

Try these practice sentences. Rewrite each sentence using the verb in parentheses properly.

1. I (visit) my on August 15, 2008.
2. I (visit) my friends since last year.
3. I (fly) to Chicago this morning.
4. My partner (fly) to Chicago for fifteen years.
5. I (got) an A on my test last Saturday.
6. I (got) great grades recently.
7. The teachers (meet) last Tuesday.
8. The student council (meet) since school started.
9. Some children (eat) their lunch at noon yesterday.
10. Mr. Jones (eat) hamburgers since he was very young.

Regards,
Barbara92106

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