III. Patterns

Note the sentences of the type in the Present Perfect:

• This is the best wine I have ever drunk.

• This is the easiest job I have ever had.

• This is the only book he has ever written.

• It's the first time he has driven a car.

• It's the first good meal I have had for ages.

• Linda has lost her passport again. It's the second time this has happened.

• Bill is phoning again. It's the third time he has phoned her this evening.

But

• I am here for the first time.

IV. Time Indication

Present Perfect is associated with certain time indications – either the whole period of the duration of the action is marked or its starting point.

• I have been here since last week (point).

• I have been here for the last week (period).

1) 'for'

Some expressions are introduced by the preposition 'for' and sometimes 'in' (for an hour, for a long time, for so long, for ages, in years, in a long while, etc.), other expressions have no prepositions (these three years, all this week, all along, so long, all one's life, etc.)

Note 1: 'for' sometimes can be omitted, especially after 'be, live, wait' but not usually in negative sentences.

• They have been married ten years. They haven't had a holiday for ten years

Note 2: We do not use 'for + all'

• I have lived here all my life.

Note 3: 'for' is used with the simple past tense to denote a terminated period of time.

• I lived there for ten years (but don't live there now).

• He worked there for twenty years and then was made redundant.

• He lived in Oxford for two years and then left for London.

Note 4: 'from' can be used to indicate the starting point of the action which is cut off from the present.

• From his early childhood L. Tolstoy loved fairy-tales.

• Tolstoy and Turgenev met and from that moment on they wrote letters to each other.

• He took an interest in teaching and from that time on he always taught children. (a succession of past actions)

• I began to study English at five and from that time on up to the graduation I studied it.

2) 'since' = from ...until now

Note 1: 'Since' can function as a preposition or a conjunction.

• He has lived here since 1990. He has lived here since he moved in.

Note 2: 'since' can introduce a clause with a verb in Present Perfect or Past Indefinite:

	since = when (no perfect tenses)	since = as long as (perfect tenses)
He hasn't read any books...	since he gave up his studies.	since I have known him.
He has been in sorrow...	since his friend left.	since his friend has been away.
I have been feeling better...	since I started taking this medicine.	since I have been taking this medicine.

3) 'lately', 'recently' used with the Present Perfect also indicate an incomplete period of time (until now).

• Has he been here lately/recently? (any time during the last week/month)

Note 1: 'recently' used with Past Simple means 'a short time ago'.

• He left recently.