Teaching the present perfect tense in Mexico is a little difficult, as it is not used extensively in Spanish here, and there are many other ways of expressing the same concept using different tenses. What we have to do is teach the idea it represents at the same time as we teach the structure. I see the present perfect as a tense which bridges the gap between the past and the present, and I think we usually see it that way when we begin teaching it.
The present perfect can be broken down into three areas: experience, a change in circumstances and duration. Here are three examples to help illustrate this:
- I've never been to Cancun. (experience)
- He's lost his job. (a change in circumstances)
- We've celebrated Independence Day since 1810. (duration)
As you can see, all of these examples involve some connection between the past and the present. The first connects the speaker's entire life with this moment, the second involves a change in the past which affects present circumstances, and the third shows us a tradition which began in the past and is still in effect. If you can keep the concept of this tense clear when teaching it, it should be easier for students to understand it and use it.
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Connects present and the past
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