What is the purpose of the present perfect tense? Why do English teachers say that you must learn to use it? What happens if you don't use it? These are interesting questions.
There were several participants in the class and each of them explained own opinion about topic. Students said that there is similar grammar construction in Spanish, Italian, Hindi languages but it is used in different way (like past simple). There is no comparable Grammar construction in Japanese, Russian languages.
It is presumably that British people use perfect more than Americans. Teacher agreed that it is true but it is difficult to notice it.
Why are there so many tenses in English?
As Holly explained there are two reasons:
1.) English has German root.
2.) Connection in time is very important in English language.
English tenses are more recognizable because they are built like logical constructions from bricks.
The name of this tense is Present Perfect because it is connected to the present.
It would illustrate with two simple examples:
"I did my homework" is correct sentence and "I've done my homework" is also correct. I suggested my explanation of the difference. let's pretend that I'm very busy person and I'm able to attend the class only because I've done my homework. Present perfect connects the past to now (because it is the present).
The main idea of the class was said by our teacher. I wrote it down in my own words:
When we study foreign language we observe a battle between our native language and new one. Our native language tries to translate logic of new language using its own logic.
If learners won the battle - they understood English Present Perfect Tense.
It was a very interesting and memorable class. We came learn and practice English and the fact that this class was published on YouTube gives us an additional possibility to share it and to keep this knowledges for the future.
