The Advanced Present

Read an extensive course syllabus that explains what each activity is, how to complete it and how it will help you improve your use and understanding of the present perfect and present perfect continuous tenses.

We set out the key objectives for this course so you can identify what you need to learn. We provide a downloadable checklist that you can print out to check off the points as you go through the course.

Before starting the grammar section of this course, we provide you with all the correct materials. This includes the slides used in our grammar presentations with notes lines and an interactive worksheet, which you can answer whilst watching the videos. We provide the correct answers to this interactive worksheet too and point you to our grammar forum, where you can ask any questions about the correct grammar of the present perfect tense.

This video provides an in-depth explanation of the situations when the present perfect tense is required. We provide numerous example sentences shown on tense timelines and a comprehensive list of the most common stative verbs in English.

One of the key parts of the present perfect tense is the past participle. Luckily, there are strict rules and patterns for forming the past participle with regular verbs and this video explains them all. We summarise them in a downloadable poster and you also have access to a consonants and vowels printout.

Like most languages, English has its fair share of irregular verbs. These are very common in the present perfect tense. Here, we provide a comprehensive list of the most common irregular verbs with example sentences.

This grammar video explains how to form the affirmative of the present perfect tense. We provide numerous examples and introduce the useful tool of contractions.

The verbs to be and to go have a very specific meaning in the present perfect tense and this grammar video explains it in detail.

This grammar video explains how to form the negative of the present perfect tense. We provide numerous examples and review the useful tool of contractions.

There are two possible structures to form a question in the present perfect tense and this video teaches both of them. We introduce our acronyms to help you remember the structure and provide numerous example questions.

Many courses don't teach short responses as part of the tense, but at Virtually Fluent we want to teach you everything. In this video, we explain what a short response is, why it's needed to be polite and how to form them in the present perfect tense.

Keywords are special words that work very well in a certain tense. There are numerous keywords in the present perfect tense and they all work in different ways. This is an introduction video that summarises the types of keywords we use in the present perfect tense.

In this keywords grammar video, we explain what a sandwich keyword is, where it is placed in a sentence and which forms it can be used with. We provide a list of the typical sandwich keywords in the present perfect tense and show numerous example sentences.

In this keywords grammar video, we explain what a flexible keyword is, where it is placed in a sentence and which forms it can be used with. We provide a list of the typical flexible keywords in the present perfect tense and show numerous example sentences.

In this keywords grammar video, we explain what an "at the end" keyword is, where it is placed in a sentence and which forms it can be used with. We provide a list of the typical at the end keywords in the present perfect tense and show numerous example sentences.

The keyword still is used in a very particular way in the present perfect tense and this grammar video explains this. We show numerous example sentences in affirmative, negative and question forms too.

From experience teaching English learners, we have collected the top mistakes made when trying to use the present perfect tense. We have identified 4 of the most common mistakes and explain how you can try and avoid them yourself.

This presentation shows real life examples of the present perfect tense. We show news articles clippings, personal emails and songs that all use the present perfect tense. Here, you can see how native English speakers use this tense on a daily basis.

Before starting the pronunciation section of this course, we provide you with all the correct materials. This includes the slides used in our pronunciation presentations with notes lines and an interactive worksheet, which you can answer whilst watching the videos. We provide the correct answers to this interactive worksheet too and point you to our pronunciation forum, where you can ask any questions about the correct pronunciation of the present perfect tense.

This grammar video explains what the ED pronunciation is and why it applies to the present perfect tense.

Before learning the correct pronunciation of the present perfect tense, it's important to understand what a voiced and an unvoiced sound is. We explain this and provide you with a downloadable phonetic chart.

Learn how to correctly pronounce the sound /T/ and why it is important for the present perfect tense.

Learn how to correctly pronounce the sound /D/ and why it is important for the present perfect tense.

Learn how to correctly pronounce the combination sound /ID/ and why it is important for the present perfect tense.

Although the verb to have seems relatively simple, there are five different ways to pronounce it. This video teaches these five ways to pronounce the verb and explains which ones are important for the present perfect tense.

Stress is an essential part of the English language. This video introduces the topic of stress and explains how we should stress every present perfect sentence, whether it is affirmative or negative.

This is a downloadable document with a list of present perfect verbs. You can practise saying these words to ensure you are pronouncing the present perfect tense correctly. You can also access audios of our native teachers saying these words, so you can repeat after the teacher or at the same time.

Use our flashcards to talk about life experiences in the past. As well as reviewing the present perfect tense, you’ll get to practise your story-telling skills.

You’ll learn in this course that there are numerous keywords and each one has a special meaning and is used in a certain way. Use our flashcards with keywords on them to be creative and make up your own sentences, using each keyword in the correct way.

The present perfect tense is a very common tense used in conversation, especially when talking about life experiences and ongoing events. We provide a list of the most classic conversation questions in the present perfect tense so you can be prepared for a fluent conversation. You can write your answers in our forum and get feedback and corrections from our teachers and you also have access to our private Flipgrid community where you can upload video responses.

You will learn in this grammar topic that the present perfect is a tense used to compare situations from the past to the present. Use our flashcards or online tool to discuss how certain things, such as the economy, the environment and education have all changed over the past 100 years. This is a flexible exercise that can generate discussion.

Use our booklet of pictures where amazing life events have just happened, which requires you to describe them using the present perfect tense. As well as reviewing the present perfect tense, you’ll get to practise important vocabulary about life events.

This activity also reviews your vocabulary about life events. Use our life timelines of fictional characters and celebrities to help you explain what their current situation is, using the present perfect tense. You can apply this activity to yourself and share it on our forum page.

Before starting the grammar section of this course, we provide you with all the correct materials. This includes the slides used in our grammar presentations with notes lines and an interactive worksheet, which you can answer whilst watching the videos. We provide the correct answers to this interactive worksheet too and point you to our grammar forum, where you can ask any questions about the correct grammar of the present perfect continuous tense.

Learn about the three situations when the present perfect continuous tense should be used. As well as in-depth explanations, you'll see numerous example sentences, which we present on timelines so you can visualise how this tense should be used.

One of the key parts of the present perfect continuous tense is the present participle. Luckily, there are strict spelling rules and patterns to form the present participle and this video teaches them all. We provide numerous example verbs along with a PDF printout that summarises all the rules in one easy-to-follow table.

This grammar video teaches the affirmative form of the present perfect continuous tense. We also introduce the topic of contractions.

This grammar video teaches the negative form of the present perfect continuous tense. We also review the topic of contractions.

There are two different structures that we can use to make questions in the present perfect continuous tense and this video teaches them both. We explain our acronyms which can help you remember the structure easily and provide numerous example questions too.

Most courses don't incorporate short responses into their content, but at Virtually Fluent we want to teach you everything. This video explains what a short response is, why it's needed to "fit in" to the polite English-speaking culture and how you can form them in the present perfect continuous tense.

Keywords are special words that work very well with one tense. In this video, we explain the most common keywords in the present perfect continuous tense. We explain their position in the sentence, whether they require time phrases or not and if they work in affirmative, negative or question sentences.

After lots of teaching experience, we have identified the most common mistakes made when trying to use the present perfect continuous tense. We explain the top 3 and point out how you can avoid making these same mistakes yourself.

This presentation provides real-life examples of the present perfect continuous tense. We have extracted examples from news articles online to show you how native speakers use the present perfect continuous in their everyday lives.

Before starting the pronunciation section of this course, we provide you with all the correct materials. This includes the slides used in our pronunciation presentations with notes lines and an interactive worksheet, which you can answer whilst watching the videos. We provide the correct answers to this interactive worksheet too and point you to our pronunciation forum, where you can ask any questions about the correct pronunciation of the present perfect continuous tense.

Although the letters ING seem relatively simple to pronounce, there are 3 different ways you could say them. In this video, we explain what these three different pronunciations are and provide close-up clips so you can replicate it yourself.

Word stress is a very important part of the English language. In this pronunciation video, we explain what word stress is, how to do it and why it's important for pronouncing words with a present participle ending.

When saying any tense with an auxiliary verb, which includes the present perfect continuous tense, the emphasis is very important. We need to stress the correct words to convey what we want to say correctly. In this pronunciation video, we review the basic sentence stress rules that apply to the present perfect continuous tense.

This activity provides you with numerous sentences in the present perfect continuous tense. You can practise reading them out loud to ensure your present perfect continuous pronunciation is correct. You can easily download the document in PDF format and listen to audios of our native teachers saying these phrases too, so you can listen and repeat or copy at the same time.

A sub-topic of this tense is being able to convert verbs into their present participle formation. Use these verb flashcards to test your ability to turn any verb into its present participle form.

Use our downloadable or online flashcards to practise describing events that have just happened in the present perfect continuous tense. You can practise the affirmative form of the tense as well as vocabulary for everyday activities.

The present perfect continuous is a tense that is very regularly used in conversation because it connects the past and present times together. Here, we provide you with the typical questions that are most commonly asked in the present perfect continuous tense, so you can be prepared to answer them if somebody asks.

Use our downloadable or online flashcards to read out various present perfect continuous statements. As well as practising the correct pronunciation of present perfect continuous sentences, you can then debate these. You can decide if they apply to you or not and continue a general discussion.

Create your own present perfect continuous sentences in question, affirmative and negative forms. Use our emotion and verb cards to guide you and use your general vocabulary in English to create the sentences.

Practise your use of keywords in the present perfect continuous and general time phrases with our flashcards. You’ll also get to practise forming present perfect continuous sentences in a way that applies to you and your life, so you’ll be practising relevant vocabulary and phrases.

This video compares the use of the present perfect and present perfect continuous tenses. We provide in-depth explanations alongside numerous example sentences on a timeline so you can visualise the use of each tense.

Practise your use of keywords in the present perfect and present perfect continuous. You’ll also get to practise forming sentences in both of these tenses in a way that applies to you and your life, so you’ll be practising relevant vocabulary and phrases.

Error correction is an activity where you identify a mistake and correct it, explaining why you are correcting it in that way. You can easily download our worksheet with various error correction sentences and see the correct answers too. 

Use our flashcards to help you construct sentences in the present perfect and present perfect continuous tenses. This activity requires you to use your grammar understanding as well as vocabulary skills to think quickly and say things correctly in both tenses. 

Using our activity forum, read a list of facts about a celebrity and try to guess which celebrity it is. You can then do the same by writing some key facts about a celebrity whilst the other course participants must guess who it is. Of course, you’ll be using the present perfect and present perfect continuous when creating your sentences.

This review booklet summarises everything you learnt in this course in four pages, including the form, use, structure, keywords and pronunciation rules of both tenses and a comparison.

This page summarises everything you have learnt in our course, so you can review your achievements.

We always appreciate any feedback from our learners. Here you have the chance to fill in an optional questionnaire telling us what you liked and didn't like so we can keep on improving for our future learners.