Grammar-Quizzes › Verb Phrases › Verb Groups › Present Perfect › Up to now
Present Perfect: Up to Now
Express duration from past to present
Past vs. Present Perfect "up to now"
| PAST |
|---|
A verb in the past tense expresses that an activity, event or state began and ended in the past. Adverbs such as last year, a year ago and in 2017 make clear that the activity is pinned to a time in the past. See Past Adverbs. |
| COMPLETED IN PAST |
|
Construction on the Tower of Pisa started in 1173. Builders added a third story in 1185. Then, it began to lean. |
It leaned 5.5º before the renovation. It leaned only 3.99º after the renovation. |
The soil foundation failed under the tower in 1185. |
Officials closed the tower during the 1990s. |
The tower was reopened in 2001. |
| PRESENT PERFECT "UP TO NOW" |
|---|
A verb in the present perfect may express that an activity began in the past and continued up to the present (and may extend into the future.) Adverbs so far, up to now and to date make clear this past-to-present timing. |
| FROM PAST TO PRESENT MOMENT |
|
The Tower of Pisa has leaned to the south since its third story was added in 1178. It has continued to lean up to now. |
Its lean has remained unchanged up to now. |
Engineers have gradually reduced the lean by 14 centimeters so far. |
The Leaning Tower of Pisa has not leaned any farther so far. |
The project has received $30,000,000 to date. |
fail (V) – lose strength, become weak
lean (V) – to be at an angle that is not upright at 90º; lean (N) the difference in degrees from the upright 90º angle.
foundation (N) – the base upon which something sits
"The Leaning Tower of Pisa." towerofpisa.org/tower-of-pisa-historical-facts/
Duration vs. Completion
Express activities as processes or accomplishments
Process (duration) vs. Accomplishment (completion)
| PROCESS—HAVING DURATION |
|---|
A process is a general activity, occurring gradually over a period of time without a specified end time. An adverb such as for a month is used for duration. When no adverb is used, we understand the timing as the indefinite past, for example, an experience sometime in the past. |
| DURATION (DEFINITE PERIOD OF TIME) |
We have worked for a year. (continuously ) We have been working for a year. (repetitively)
|
We have worked since 2001. (continuously) We have been working since June. (repetitively) |
| GENERAL ACTIVITY (INDEFINITE TIME) |
We have worked. (experience) |
| ACCOMPLISHMENT—DIRECTED TOWARD COMPLETION |
|---|
An accomplishment is a detail activity directed toward an end, a completion time. An accomplishment often includes an object (a thing acted upon), a distance, destination or goal. Adverbs such as up to now, so far, in a month delimit the timing. |
| PARTIAL ACCOMPLISHMENT ASSESSMENT POINT = NOW |
We have moved the tower 14 cm. up to now. (distance) We have moved the tower 2º upright so far. (destination) We have improved the tower's lean a little so far. (quantity) |
| ACCOMPLISHMENTS ENDPOINT = [SPECIFIED] |
We have moved the tower 14 cm. in six months. (distance) We have moved the tower 2º upright in six months. (destination) We have improved the tower's lean a little in six months. (quantity) |
| ACHIEVEMENTS ENDPOINT = [NOT SPECIFIED] |
We have uprighted the tower¹. (achievement) |
Accomplishments can often be restated as: It took us X time to do something with "something" as the goal. It took four years to build the bridge. ⇒ They completed the Golden Gate Bridge in four years.
¹uprighting the tower – the engineers did not actually upright the tower to a perfect 90º. This would have destroyed some of this landmark's attraction. See "Historical Facts." The Leaning Tower of Pisa. towerofpisa.org/tower-of-pisa-historical-facts/
atelic – a verb or verb phrase that presents an action or event as being incomplete. The tower leans. (The verb can be used with a time-span adverbial such as "for a month", but not with a time-frame adverbial such as "within a year".) → The tower has leaned for several years. *The tower has leaned within a year.
telic – a verb or verb phrase that presents an action or event as being complete. The verb can be used with a time-frame adverbial such as "in a month", but not with a time-span adverbial such as "for a month") → The foundation has sunk in the last 200 years. *The foundation has sunk for 200 years.
See Verbs of Short and Long Duration.
Present Perfect Adverbs (time expressions)
Specify the timing of an action or activity
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Adverbs for Present Perfect Tense
| DEFINITE TIMING "HAPPENING BEFORE AND UP TO NOW" | |
|---|---|
Adverbial expressions with definite timing are used when actions have starting times and ending times relative to the current moment (now). Compare (1) I have just walked to class this morning. The period ended when I arrived at class. (done, perfective) to (2) I have been walking to class this morning. The period will end when I arrive at class. (may be ongoing, imperfective) |
|
| BOTH PROG. NONPROGRESSIVE | BOTH PROG. & NONPROGRESSIVE |
He has just visited Pisa. He has just been visiting Pisa. |
He has visited Pisa today. He has been visiting Pisa today. |
| A TIME PERIOD RELATIVE TO NOW | A STARTING TIME UP TO NOW |
just (just, recently, [neg.] lately) I have just walked a mile. I have just been walking a mile. |
today¹ / tonight (a time starting from within this time to current time)
|
so far (to date, up to now) I have read 40 pages so far. *I have been reading 40 pages so far. |
this month¹ (a time starting from within this time to current tim:morning, evening, week, semester, this spring, year, decade, century) |
already (earlier than expected) I have walked 10 minutes already. I have been walking 10 minutes already. |
since / ever since (from this time to current time: 6:00 AM, noon, midnight, this morning, May 2012; ever since I met you) |
yet (later than expected) I haven't walked 10 minutes yet. *I haven't been walking 10 minutes yet. |
from last Monday until now (1 PM until now) |
|
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|
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| INDEFINITE TIMING "HAPPENING SOMETIME" | |
|---|---|
Adverbial expressions with indefinite timing are used when activities or states happen "sometime", not related to the current moment (now). The precise time is not important. The focus is on the activity or state. These adverbs express duration (a period of time) or repetition (the interval of occurrence). They are mostly imperfective (may extend in the future). |
|
| MOSTLY PROGRESSIVE | BOTH PROG. & NONPROGRESSIVE |
He has visited Pisa recently. He has been visiting temporarily. |
He has often given tours. ~He has often been giving tours. |
| DURATION— PERIOD | REPETITION — INTERVAL |
temporarily(continuously, briefly, momentarily) [imperfective, ongoing] ⇒ Mostly progressive. |
repeatedly(constantly, continuously, again and again, perpetually, eternally) ⇒ Switch to "keep" with progressive.³ |
for a moment (ten minutes, a week, a month, for a while², a little while, a day, forever) ⇒ Often present perfect. |
always (routinely, customarily, usually, in general, normally, often, sometimes, hardly ever, never) |
during the week (month, year, etc.) ⇒ Mostly nonprogressive. |
ever (requesting any experience: before) |
from Monday to Tuesday(1 PM to 2 PM, morning to night) all my life |
at night (noon, midnight, sunset) in spring (winter, summer, June, July) |
while it is warm(a relative period of time: when, if, whenever, before, after) before sunrise (after) |
on Mondays (Tuesday, Sundays, etc.) most days (nights, weekends, etc.) |
over the past year (weeks, decades, centuries) throughout the year (weeks, decades, centuries) |
every / each / every other (hour, day, night, week, month, year, May, spring) |
¹ time expressions such as like today or this month include time that is past, present and future. With the present tense, we understand the time to be present, current, now.
² for a while (PP) – can be understood in two ways: (1) having some amount of duration, or (2) being very temporary
³ keep + verb+ing – Repetition can be expressed by using the "keep" (I keep walking. He kept smiling.) The progressive with "repeatedly" (*I am walking to class repeatedly. )sounds awkward.
Also see Ever v. Never, Already v. Yet., Adverbs of Frequency, For v Since.
"Leaning Tower of Pisa–Exterior." By Jordiferrer. Wikimedia, 7 Aug. 2016. Licensed under CC BY-SA4.0 International.
Present Perfect
Word Order
Word Order
| AUXILIARY VERB | SUBJECT | AUXILIARY | PAST PARTICIPLE | ADVERB PHRASE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STATEMENT | ||||
The tower |
has |
stood |
for a long time. |
|
The engineers |
have |
worked |
for several years. |
|
| QUESTION | ADVERB | |||
Has |
the tower |
|
stood |
for a long time? |
Have |
the engineers |
ever |
worked |
there? |
| NEGATIVE | ||||
|
The tower |
hasn't |
stood |
for a long time. |
|
The engineers |
haven't |
worked |
for several years. |
| WITH AN ADVERB | ||||
The tower |
has always |
stood |
there. |
|
The engineers |
have frequently |
worked |
there.
|
*A tag question can also occur with a negative main sentence and a positive final question: The tower hasn't stood there for long, has it? (doubtful question)
Related pages: Auxiliary Verbs, Past Participle Forms.
Perfect Forms
Verb Groups—auxiliary and verb forms
Present perfect, progressive, modal and passive
| PRESENT PERFECT | PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE |
|---|---|
Auxiliary 1 ⇒ has/have, had Past Participle ⇒ raised |
Auxiliary 1 ⇒ has/have, had Auxiliary 2 ⇒ been Gerund-Participle ⇒ raising |
| PRESENT | PRESENT |
Engineers have ⇒ raised the tower. |
Engineers have been raising the tower. |
| PAST | PAST |
Engineers had ⇒ stabilized the foundation (before they raised the tower) |
Engineers had been stabilizing the foundation (before they raised the tower.) |
|
| MODAL (opinion) | PRESENT PERFECT PASSIVE |
|---|---|
Auxiliary 1 ⇒ will, would, may, might, can, could, shall, should Auxiliary 2 ⇒ have Past Participle ⇒ raised |
Auxiliary 1 ⇒ has/have, had Auxiliary 2 ⇒ been Past Participle ⇒ raised |
| PRESENT | PRESENT |
Engineers may have fixed his lean. Engineers might have fixed it. |
The tower's lean has been fixed (by the engineers.) |
| FUTURE PERFECT | PAST |
Engineers will have raised the tower by the end of the year. (future perfect) |
The tower's foundation had been stabilized before the tower's lean was fixed. |
| HYPOTHETICAL | |
Engineers would have made the tower perfectly straight if it hadn't become famous for being the Leaning Tower of Pisa. |
— |
Also see modals: Will / Will have | Could / Could have | Should / Should have | Must / Must have and Conditionals
Verb Forms: Participle Forms
foundation (N) – ground on which something sits
stabilize (V) – make stable, firm
Common Mistakes
Errors and Solutions
Errors and Solutions
| ERROR |
|---|
Where did you go on vacation? "We have been to the beach this summer. (See Pop-Q "Source".) We have been to the beach during the summer. (See During v. In.) |
*The Leaning Tower of Pisa has been closed during the last decade. Present perfect is used with "during" under special conditions. |
*I haven't seen my family for six months ago. (After "for" use a quantity of time.) |
* I went there since two months. (After "since" use an exact date.) |
| SOLUTION |
|---|
We went to the beach this summer. (completed) We have been to the beach recently. (completed) We have been vacationing at the beach this summer. (ongoing) (If we are still at the beach, use present perfect progressive with "this summer". If we are talking about a recently completed trip, use past tense, or use present perfect with the adverb "recently".) |
The Leaning Tower of Pisa has
been closed for a
decade. |
I haven't seen my family for six months. (omit "ago") |
I've been going there for two months. (ongoing) |
Image
"Leaning Tower of Pisa–Exterior." By Jordiferrer. Wikimedia, 7 Aug. 2016. Licensed under CC BY-SA4.0 International.
Grammar Notes (Advanced)
Traditional and Linguistic Description
Traditional / ESL and Linguistic Descriptions
| TRADITIONAL DESCRIPTION |
|---|
"The present perfect is often used with since and for to talk about situations that began in the past and continue up to now. UUEG 3-1
|
455.6 repetition up to now: I've commuted to work by bus this week.… We can use the present perfect to say that something has happened several times up to the present. 455.7 continuation up to ow: I've known her for years. We use the present perfect if we are thing about the past and present together. 456.7 today, this week, etc.: I haven't seen her this week We prefer the present perfect if we are thinking of the whole period up to now. 458.8 Present Perfect (4): progressive (or 'continuous') In some cases, we can also use the simple present perfect to talk about actions and situations continuing up to the present:
(Swan 455 - 458) |
| LINGUISTIC DESCRIPTION |
|---|
"Grammars commonly distinguish four major uses of the present perfect: the continuative, the experiential (or 'existential') perfect, the resultative perfect, and the perfect of recent past." (Huddleston 3 §5.3.2)
|
The continuative expresses a situation that began before the current time and continues up to the present. It allows "atelic situations" (ones without a terminal point.) The tense may be reinforced by time adjuncts, such as: for, since, ever since, up to now, etc.
(Huddleston 3 §5.2)
|
Works Cited
- Azar, Betty Schrampfer, and Stacy A. Hagen. Understanding and Using English Grammar. 4th ed., Pearson Education, 2009.
- Huddleston, Rodney D., and Geoffrey K. Pullum. The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. Cambridge UP, 2002.
- "Leaning Tower of Pisa Timeline." Preceden, 2018.
- "The Leaning Tower of Pisa." By Saffron Blaze, Wikimedia, 10 Aug 2015. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
- Payne, Thomas Edward. Understanding English Grammar: A Linguistic Introduction. Cambridge UP, 2011.
- "Tower of Pisa Historical Facts." Leaning Tower of Pisa, 2016. towerofpisa.org/tower-of-pisa-historical-facts.
- Swan, Michael. Practical English Usage. 3rd ed., Oxford UP, 2005.
- "Washington Monument." National Park Service, nps.gov/wamo/index.htm.
Practice 1
Pisa Perspective
Read for Errors
The Tower of Pisa was the center of attention since a long time ago. For the people of Pisa, the tower has been a slightly imperfect bell tower to their cathedral. For the Germans during World War II, the tower have been an observation tower and a landmark that deserved protection from bombing.
For architects, the tower has been an example of excellent 11th century design, which unfortunately was placed on a bad foundation. For tourists, the tower has been a reminder that people make mistakes and that some are very beautiful! For me, this is a reminder that imperfection is more interesting than perfection.
architect (N) – a person who designs the structure of a building
bombing (N) – dropping of explosive missiles, destruction
center US-Eng / centre Br-Eng
deserve (V) – have value, merit, be worthy
foundation (N) – the natural or prepared ground or base on which a structure rests.
landmark (N) – a well-known structure (e.g., the Eiffel Tower)
perfection (N) – the state or quality of being perfect, ideal, excellent
protection (N) – safe-keeping
slightly (Adj) – a little
Decide whether the tense use is correct or incorrect
- Select your response correct or incorrect.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the check button to the left of the check-all button at the bottom.
Practice 2
The Tower's Past, Present and Future
Complete the sentence.
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "Check 6-15" button at the bottom, or click the "Check" button to the left as you go.
Practice 3
Washington Monument Closed
Read for Errors
On Tuesday, August 23, 2011, an earthquake has damaged the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
The obelisk, which was under construction from 1848 to 1885, has stood as a memorial to George Washington since a 125 years.
The monument honoring the founding father, George Washington, has been a popular attraction with spectacular views of the Capitol, the White House and the Lincoln Memorial.
The National Park Service staff has maintained the tower since 1966 with occasional closures for maintenance and security.
After the earthquake, park inspectors have found cracks inside and outside of the stone structure.
The National Park Service has closed the monument temporarily until it can be repaired.
Workers have been repairing cracks and strengthening the structure.
The work is lasted longer than expected. The reopening date is unknown.
Businessman David Rubenstein has offered $7.5 million to match the government's $7.5 million to cover the cost of repairing the damage from the earthquake.
The public has been looking forward to the reopening of this monument on the Washington Mall.
earthquake (N) – an event in nature in which the ground moves and shakes
obelisk – elongated pyramid-shaped monument
Edit for Errors
- Edit the sentence(s) in the text box.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the check buttons.
The Washington Monument. The National Park Service 08 Jun 2013. Web. 01 Jul 2013 <nps.gov/wamo/historyculture/index.htm>.