Present Perfect and Adverbs

Present Perfect Review

The present perfect tense is a verb form used to connect past actions or events to the present. It indicates that something started in the past and has a relevance or connection to the present moment. In other words, it emphasizes the relationship between past actions and their impact on the current situation.

Grammar pattern
Form: Subject + have/has + past participle (3rd form)

Use	Example
Expressing Experiences	“I have visited Paris several times.”
Unfinished Actions	“They have studied English for three years.”
Actions with Relevance	“She has lost her keys.”
Recent Past	“He has just arrived home.”

Adverbs used with Present Perfect

There are some adverbs that we can use with present perfect to make emphasis or add additional details.

Adverb	Meaning	Example
Already	Before the present time or earlier than expected	“I have already finished my homework.”
Even	Emphasizing a surprising or unexpected situation	“I’ve been very busy. I haven’t even had time to have lunch.”
Ever	At any time in the past or in one’s life	“Have you ever traveled abroad?”
Just	Referring to a very recent past or a short time ago	“He’s just come back from Brazil.”
Lately	In the recent past or during a recent period	“I haven’t seen him lately.”
Never	Not at any time in the past or in one’s life	“I have never been to Australia.”
Only	Indicating exclusivity or emphasizing limitations	“I’ve only done the first year of my course.”
Recently	In the near past or not long ago	“She has recently started a new job.”
So far	Describing the extent of an action up to the present time	“They have visited three countries so far.”
Still	Indicating that a situation or action is continuing or ongoing	“I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
Yet	Expressing an action or event expected to happen but hasn’t occurred until now	“They haven’t finished their project yet.”