1. Has Paco left South Africa?

Paco has decided to visit Sierra Leone and Kenya: I've just arrived in Sierra Leone

Map

1.1 Paco's friends have never been to Africa

1.2 Paco still hasn't found what he's looking for

1.3 Paco has already made a decision

2. Does Paco need to improve his English?

3. A fun letter for his old chaps?

4. Practice your English

5. Solved exercises

1. Has Paco left South Africa?

Reflexion

Have a look at the sentences in the Present Perfect tense Paco uses in his letter. How has Paco formed this tense?

Important

Remember that it is very important that you perfectly know how to add suffix -ed to the bare infinitive of regular verbs to form their Past Participle. Otherwise, you will find it really difficult to use this tense, which, by the way, is very frequently used in English, as we already know.

Exactly the same can said about the Past Participle of irregular verbs, which, unfortunately, must be learnt by heart! If you didn't download the list of irregular verbs in unit one, it's time now to click on the picture in order to get it.

Since this is a compound tense (it is neither a Present Simple nor a Past Simple in which we need the verb to do), negative and interrogative sentences are very easy. Have a look at the following chart with examples from Paco's letters.

Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
I've just arrived in Freetown	I have not (haven't) just arrived in Freetown	Have you just arrived in Freetown?
I've left South Africa	I have not (haven't) left South Africa	Have you left South Africa?
I've come to another country	I have not (haven't) come to another country	Have you come/gone to another country?

Now, imagine a narrator tells what Paco has done! He would say...

Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
Paco has just arrived in Freetown	Paco has not (hasn't) just arrived in Freetown	Has Paco just arrived in Freetown?
Paco has left South Africa	Paco has not (hasn't) left South Africa	Has Paco left South Africa?
Paco has come to another country	Paco has not (hasn't) come to another country	Has Paco come/gone to another country?

... in the third person singular!

Further knowledge

In spite of the fact that it is very easy, below you have two different files to get the information about how to form the Present Perfect tense in English. The one on the left is a presentation. On the right you will be able to watch an excellent video in which the subject is clearly explained.

Self-Assessment

Write correct sentences using the Present Perfect tense.

1. Andrés / be / to / never / Africa.

Andrés JXUwMDMwJXUwMDA5JXUwMDEy JXUwMDNhJXUwMDA3JXUwMDAwJXUwMDBi JXUwMDJjJXUwMDFi .

2. Paco / improve / English / his / quickly / very?

JXUwMDEwJXUwMDI5JXUwMDEy JXUwMDA4JXUwMDMxJXUwMDAyJXUwMDBj JXUwMDMwJXUwMDAxJXUwMDFh JXUwMDJlJXUwMDEzJXUwMDE3JXUwMDBi ?

3. His parents / phone / just / him.

His JXUwMDMwJXUwMDA5JXUwMDE3JXUwMDEz JXUwMDMyJXUwMDFmJXUwMDA2JXUwMDA3 JXUwMDMwJXUwMDAxJXUwMDA0 .

4. They / interest / be / Anthropology / in / always.

JXUwMDBjJXUwMDNjJXUwMDBkJXUwMDFj JXUwMDMwJXUwMDA5JXUwMDE3JXUwMDEz JXUwMDNhJXUwMDA3JXUwMDAwJXUwMDBi JXUwMDMxJXUwMDA3 Anthropology.

5. Paco and I / close friends / a long time / be / for.

Paco and JXUwMDEx JXUwMDMwJXUwMDA5JXUwMDE3JXUwMDEz JXUwMDNhJXUwMDA3JXUwMDAwJXUwMDBi JXUwMDNlJXUwMDA5JXUwMDFk JXUwMDM5 JXUwMDM0JXUwMDAzJXUwMDAxJXUwMDA5 JXUwMDJjJXUwMDFkJXUwMDA0JXUwMDA4 .

Now we have checked the form of the Present Perfect Tense, it's time to learn to use it! Go on to next section to improve it!

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