The PRESENT PERFECT TENSE makes use of the verb TO
HAVE in its present tense form of HAS or HAVE. The present perfect
tense is used to show that an event, activity, or state of being which
STARTED IN THE PAST *BUT CONTINUES* TO HAPPEN ON INTO THE PRESENT.
For example:
THE GHOUL HAS HAUNTED THE CEMETERY FOR YEARS.
The word “haunted” shows that the haunting took place
in the past, and the word “has” shows that the haunting continues to the
present time. This diagram shows how the haunting continues in time
from the past to the present:
*------------->-------------------->----------------->
Past <-----------------/-------------------------------------------------------/----------------------->Future
-1
Now
has haunted
Present Perfect
In the sentence, the phrase “for years” is a clue that
an activity is being continued over time.
*HINT* Frequently a prepositional phrase starting with
the preposition for and ending with a time indicates that the verb should
be in the present perfect.
In these sentences a prepositional phrase that starts with the word “for” and ends with a time has been made bold. The words “has” or “have” have been put into the sentence to turn the sentence into the present perfect tense.
1. Low moans have come from the graves for three hours.
2. Seers have given seances in the cemetery for decades.
3. Ghosts _____frightened several children last year.
4. One ghost has scared trick or treaters for my whole life.
5. A banshee ______ shrieks horribly every Halloween.
6 A student has seen a ghost by one particular tombstone for three successive Halloweens.
7. Another student _____ felt a cold chill at the same grave.
8. For two hours after midnight some students have kept vigil in the graveyard.
9. No strange apparition has appeared, but another student did join them.
10. When everyone _____ walked to the cemetery gate
to leave, the student they had met vanished.
To the Grammar
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