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 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 look for a prepositional phrase that starts with the word “for” and ends with a time. If you find one, circle it and then fill in the word “has” or “have” in the blank beside the verb.
1. Low moans _____ come from the graves for three hours.
2. Seers ____ given seances in the cemetery for decades.
3. Ghosts _____frightened several children last year.
4. One ghost _____ scared trick or treaters for my whole life.
5. A banshee ______ shrieks horribly every Halloween.
6 A student _____ 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 ____ kept vigil in the graveyard.
9. No strange apparition ____ appeared, but another student did join them.
10. When everyone _____ walked to the
cemetery gate to leave, the student they had met vanished.
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