THE PRESENT PERFECT
The present perfect, commonly known as the Present Perfect Indicative , is a compound verb tense, meaning it has two parts: an auxiliary(helping) verb, plus a participle of the main verb.
The present perfect is used to indicate what one has or has not done. Haber is the auxiliary used in the present perfect. The auxiliary verb shows person/number, tense, and mood. The participle itself does NOT change.
Construction
: form of haber according to subject + past participle
The conjugations of Haber in the present tense are as follows
:| Yo he | Nosotros hemos |
| Tú has | Vosotros habéis |
| Él, ella, usted ha | Ellos, ellas, ustedes han |
Formation of the past participle:
| take your infinitive |
| drop the ending |
| add a new set of endings: for –ar verbs, drop the –ar and add –ado; for –er/-ir verbs, drop the –er/-ir and add –ido |
Examples:
| Comprar | compr- | comprado |
| Vivir | viv- | vivido |
| Correr | corr- | corrido |
* the past participle, when used with haber, will always be singular and masculine, regardless of the subject covered by the verb form Haber.
Irregulars:
| Infinitive | Past participle | Meaning |
| Abrir | abierto | open, opened |
| Decir | dicho | said, told |
| Escribir | escrito | written |
| Hacer | hecho | done, made |
| Morir | muerto | dead, died |
| Poner | puesto | put, placed |
| Resolver | resuelto | resolved, solved |
| Romper | roto | broken |
| Ver | visto | seen |
| Volver | vuelto | returned |
*In general, compound words based upon these irregulars will share the same kind of irregular past participle: descomponer= descompuesto (broken, out of order).
Examples of the present perfect:
Ellos ya han terminado el trabajo. They have finished the work already.
Nunca he viajado a Panamá. I have never traveled to Panamá.
Hemos comido y bebido todo. We have eaten and drunk everything.
Ella ha decidido cambiar su ropa. She has decided to change her clothes.
¿Has visto la película "Scary Movie"? Have you seen the film "Scary Movie"?
Ellos han hecho las camas. They have made the beds.