About The Present Perfect...

Present perfect connects a past action to the present; it needn't still be going on. When you read the definition that it 'reflects experiences' , this means that we often use the form to state something we have experienced as opposed to something we haven't experienced ('Have you been skiiing? Yes, I have.'), but this is just one of many uses of the form.

I've heard Tom sing -- I have had that experience at an unspecified time in the past OR I have heard him recently. This form carries extra information, related in some way to Now, which does not exist in the simple past form

I heard Tom sing-- A simple statement of a past event.

I heard that Tom wanted to go to China.-- As above

I have heard that Tom wanted to go to China.-- As above

In statements such as these, native speakers often use either with no difference in intent. Please search our site for the many other threads on the topic, such as [url=http://www.EnglishForward.com/English/IHaveEatenLunch/bdrlx/post.htm ]THIS ONE[/url].

VictorAlSo i know that the present perfect is used to describe something that happened in the past but its still going on.I've been reading and i belive its commonly used to talk about your experiences and i'm pretty confused about what an "experience" would beIf i say "I've heard tom sing" means that i'm talking about my experience of hearing tom sing ?what if i say "I heard tom sing"? whats the difference between both ?and how do i write this sentence"I heard/have heard that tom wanted to go to China" TYVM

Here's my contribution.

I 've heard Tom sing - You have already heard him singing (experience).

I heard Tom sing - You just heard him singing in the past.

I have just heard that Tom wanted to go to China. - Its just a recent event (you have heard Tom saying 'that" just a while ago) or the effect is until now.

I heard that Tom wanted to go to China. It sounds like a reported speech. (But i'm not sure)

Let's wait for the authorities.

Hello Mister Micawber! I have something to consult regarding the sense of these sentences:

I have gone to New York.

I have gone to the bank.

I have been to New York.

I have been to the bank.

Actually i have already posted this but i want your opinion.

Thank you!

Non-native speakers often confuse these.

'Be' expresses the experience.
'Go' expresses the action.

I have gone to New York.-- I'm not here; I've left for New York and am there or en route.

I have been to New York. -- I'm here; I have visited New York before.

VictorAlSo i know that the present perfect is used to describe something that happened in the past but its still going on.

Present Perfect is "used to describe something that... is still going on" only by those who want to justify the word "Present" in the name of this tense, which got there by one of the hugest errors in the history of world languages. "Present" Perfect IS NOT used to describe an ongoing action. It's used to describe an action that finished recently and the result of which is still valid: "I have bought a car" - the action of buying is over, but the result of it is valid - the car is mine, I haven't sold it yet.

But that doesn't mean that any action the result of which is still valid will be expressed with Present Perfect. "I bought a car a year ago" can easily mean that I still have it, but the marker "a year ago" sends us to Past Simple tense.

Hence, the best definition for "Present" Perfect tense will be "a recent-past action in perfect aspect".

I wouldn't be so adamant, Rhino. It is a matter of how you view the 'continuing action'. If I say I have eaten 7 hotdogs so far in the Hotdog Eating Contest, I will certainly continue eating them.

Mister MicawberI wouldn't be so adamant, Rhino. It is a matter of how you view the 'continuing action'. If I say I have eaten 7 hotdogs so far in the Hotdog Eating Contest, I will certainly continue eating them.

Why? The sentence does not give this information. Of course, after having confessed so, you have all the liberty to go on with your process which may be RESUMED. Or may be not. The only information the phrase "I have eaten 7 hotdogs so far" conveys is that the action of eating the seventh hotdog FINISHED very next to the moment of speaking (which is still in the past). At the moment of speaking you are not eating. But if you want a legitimate ongoing action, you have to use Perfect Continuous tense here: "I have been eating lots of hotdogs in this contest". That means that you are eating at the moment of speaking and that you are likely to go on eating in the upcoming future.

You are too bound up in theory and are ignoring the reality of language use. I can only repeat: It is a matter of how you view the 'continuing action'.