The past in relation to the present: the present perfect
4.33 If you want to mention something that happened in the past but you do not want to state a specific time, you use the present perfect.
They have raised £180 for a swimming pool.
I have noticed this trait in many photographers.
4.34 You cannot use time adverbials that place the action at a definite time in the past with the present perfect. For example, you cannot say I have done it yesterday.
You can, however, use an adverbial of duration.
The settlers have left the bay forever.
I ate brown rice, which I have always hated, and vegetables from my garden.
Adverbials of duration are explained and listed in paragraphs 4.123 to 4.142.
You can also use since and for with the present perfect because when they are used in this way they refer to a definite time.
They have been back every year since then.
She has worked for him for ten years.
For more information on since see paragraph 4.137. Other uses of for are explained in paragraphs 4.125 to 4.128.
situations that still exist
4.35 If you want to talk about an activity or situation that started at some time in the past, continued, and is still happening now, you use the present perfect or the present perfect progressive.
All my adult life I have waited for the emergence of a strong centre party.
She’s always felt that films should be entertaining.
National productivity has been declining.
I have been dancing since I was a child.
emphasizing duration of event
4.36 If you want to emphasize the duration of a recent event, you use the present perfect progressive.
She’s been crying.
Some people will say that what I have been describing is not a crisis of industry.
The Department of Aboriginal Affairs has recently been conducting a survey of Australian Aborigines.
Events before a particular time in the past: the past perfect
4.37 If you want to talk about a past event or situation that occurred before a particular time in the past, you use the past perfect.
One day he noticed that a culture plate had become contaminated by a mould.
Before the war, he had worked as a bank manager.
She had lost her job as a real estate agent and was working as a waitress.
I detested games and had always managed to avoid children’s parties.
emphasizing time and duration
4.38 If you want to emphasize the recentness and the duration of a continuous activity that took place before a particular time in the past, you use the past perfect progressive.
Until now the rumours that had been circulating were exaggerated versions of the truth.
The doctor had been working alone.
He died in hospital where he had been receiving treatment for cancer.
They had been hitting our trucks regularly.
expectations and wishes
4.39 If you want to say that something was expected, wished for, or intended before a particular time in the past, you use the past perfect or the past perfect progressive.
She had naturally assumed that once there was a theatre everybody would want to go.
It was the remains of a ten-rupee note which she had hoped would last till the end of the week.
It was not as nice on the terrace as Clarissa had expected.
I had been expecting some miraculous obvious change.
Time adverbials with reference to the past
4.40 When you are using past verb forms, you normally use a time adverbial to indicate that you are talking about the past.
At one time the arts of reading and writing were classed among the great mysteries of life for the majority of people.
I’ve made some poor decisions lately, but I’m feeling much better now.
It was very splendid once, but it’s only a ruin now.
It’s Mark who lost his wife.
A year last January.
It was terribly hot yesterday.
types of time adverbial
4.41 Time adverbials can refer either to a specific time, or to a more general indefinite period of time.
The lists below give the most common indefinite time adverbials that are used mainly with past verb forms. With the exception of since and ever since, which come at the end of a clause, you put them after the auxiliary or modal in a verb phrase that has more than one word; if you use them with the past simple you put them in front of the verb.
The words in the following list can be used with all past verb forms:
again
already
earlier
ever since
finally
first
in the past
just
last
previously
recently
since
The words in the following list can be used with all past verb forms except the present perfect:
afterwards
at one time
eventually
formerly
immediately
next
once
originally
subsequently
Note that once here means at some time in the past. For its uses as an adverb of frequency, see paragraph 4.115.
For the uses of since as a preposition in time adverbials, see paragraph 4.137.
Some time adverbials used with past verb forms are more specific. They include words like yesterday, ago, other, and last. Note that ago is placed after the noun phrase.
I saw him yesterday evening.
We bought the house from her the day before yesterday.
Three weeks ago I was staying in San Francisco.
I saw my goddaughter the other day.
It all happened a long time ago.
4.42 You say last night, not yesterday night.
used for emphasis
4.43 There are some cases where you have to specify the time reference. In other cases, you may simply want to make the timing of the action clear, or emphatic. These cases are described below.