The Present Perfect has several uses. It is understandably confusing for students to learn them all, but with a little practice, you will become familiar with all uses of the Present Perfect.
A good way to categorize the uses of the Present Perfect is to separate them into “Unspecified Time” and “Specified Time” groups. With “Unspecified Time,” we do not know when the action occurred or started in the past. With “Specified Time,” we do.
The Present Perfect for Experiences (Unspecified Time)
If you did something in the past, then you are changed. Remember the time you traveled to London to study English? For the rest of your life, you will say “I have studied English in London.” Even when you are in your home country, you will still be able to use the Present Perfect. The person to whom you are speaking will understand that you do not live in London now, but that in the past you lived there and studied English.
Here are some more examples:
- I have eaten at a restaurant in Berjaya Times Square Mall three times.
- I have been to the indoor theme park. It’s awesome!
- I have seen many interesting people in this area.
- I have taken pictures of the indoor theme park in Berjaya Times Square Mall many times.
- She has purchased fun gifts from many of the vintage boutiques in Berjaya Times Square Mall.
The Present Perfect for Change over Time (Unspecified Time)
Some things begin in the past and slowly change: for example, growing, changing, evolving, or becoming something all take a long time. The Present Perfect expresses this gradual change.
- Kuala Lumpur has changed a lot since the 80s.
- The area has undergone a lot of changes since the 70s, when it was known as an area for partying.
- Although the area has grown and the residents have changed, the traditional culture still remains.
The Present Perfect for Something that Began in the Past (Specified Time)
We often say that the Present Perfect has a connection to today, which means that the Present Perfect can be used to talk about things that started in the past and continue until now. For example, right now you are living somewhere in the world. How long have you lived there? To express this, you need the Present Perfect and then “for” or “since” plus the amount of time.
Here are some examples:
- The Hilton has been a popular hotel for many years.
- Bukit Bintang street has been an “entertaiment area” since the 90s.
Taken from CISL blog(http://cisl.edu/wordpress/)
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