The use of the Present Perfect

1. 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.

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

I have just written to him. (Dickens)

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

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)

N o t e.— 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 aclause, 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)

This use of the Present Perfect is called the Present Perfect Inclusive.

The Present Perfect Inclusive is used:

(a) with verbs not admitting of the Continuous form.

“There is nothing to be done. She’s dead — has been dead for hours,” said

the doctor. (Eliot)

(b) in negative sentences. (In this case the Present Perfect Continuous is not impossible. See § 28.)

I have not slept since that night. (Bennett)

(c) with non-terminative verbs such as to live, to work, to study, to teach, to travel etc. (In this case the Present Perfect Continuous is possible. See § 28.)

I have worked upon the problem for a long time without reaching any

conclusion. (Shaw)

The Present Perfect in this case is translated into Russian by the present or sometimes by the past imperfective.

I have known him for many years.

Я знаю его много лет.

I have always been fond of music.

Я всегда любил музыку.

N o t e. — In the following cases the Present Perfect is not used:

1. Что вы сказали?	What did you say?
2. Я не слышал вашего вопроса.	I did not hear your question.
3. Где вы купили книгу?	Where did you buy the book?
4. Теперь я понял.	Now I understand.
5. Я слышал, что Мэри в Москве.	I hear that Mary is in Moscow (to hear is not a verb of sense perception here, it means ‘the rumour reached me’).
6. Мне сказали, что Мэри в Москве.	I am told that Mary is in Moscow.
7. Я забыл, где он живет.	I forget where he lives.
8. Я забыл название книги.	I forget the title of the book (a certain fact).

C o m p a r e: I have forgotten to ring her up (a certain action).