PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

The present perfect is used to indicate a link between the present and the past. The time of the
action is before now but not specified, and we are often more interested in the result than in
the action itself.

BE CAREFUL! There may be a verb tense in your language with a similar form, but the
meaning is probably NOT the same.

THE PRESENT PERFECT IS USED TO DESCRIBE

 An action or situation that started in the past and continues in the present. I have
lived in Bristol since 1984 (= and I still do.)
 An action performed during a period that has not yet finished. She has been to the
cinema twice this week (= and the week isn't over yet.)
 A repeated action in an unspecified period between the past and now. We have
visited Portugal several times.
 An action that was completed in the very recent past, expressed by 'just'. I have just
finished my work.
 An action when the time is not important. He has read 'War and Peace'. (= the result of
his reading is important)

Note: When we want to give or ask details about when, where, who, we use the simple past.
Read more about choosing between the present perfect and the simple past tenses.

ACTIONS STARTED IN THE PAST AND CONTINUING IN THE PRESENT

 They haven't lived here for years.

 She has worked in the bank for five years.
 We have had the same car for ten years.
 Have you played the piano since you were a child?

WHEN THE TIME PERIOD REFERRED TO HAS NOT FINISHED

 I have worked hard this week.

 It has rained a lot this year.
 We haven't seen her today.

ACTIONS REPEATED IN AN UNSPECIFIED PERIOD BETWEEN THE PAST

AND NOW.

 They have seen that film six times

 It has happened several times already.
 She has visited them frequently.
 We have eaten at that restaurant many times.

ACTIONS COMPLETED IN THE VERY RECENT PAST (+JUST)

 Have you just finished work?

 I have just eaten.
  We have just seen her.
 Has he just left?

WHEN THE PRECISE TIME OF THE ACTION IS NOT IMPORTANT OR NOT

KNOWN

 Someone has eaten my soup!

 Have you seen 'Gone with the Wind'?
 She's studied Japanese, Russian, and English.

Read more about using the present perfect with the words "ever", "never", "already", and "yet",
and about using the present perfect with the words "for" and "since".

FORMING THE PRESENT PERFECT

The present perfect of any verb is composed of two elements : the appropriate form of the
auxiliary verb to have (present tense), plus the past participle of the main verb. The past
participle of a regular verb is base+ed, e.g. played, arrived, looked. For irregular verbs, see
the Table of irregular verbs in the section called 'Verbs'.

Affirmative

Subject to have past

participle

She has visited.

Negative

Subject to have + past

not participle

She has not visited.

(hasn't)

Interrogative

to have subject past

participle
Has she visited?

Negative interrogative

to have + subject past

not participle

Hasn't she visited?

TO WALK, PRESENT PERFECT

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I have I haven't Have I

walked walked walked?

You have You Have you

walked haven't walked?
walked.

He, she, He, she, Has he, she, it

it has hasn't walked?
walked walked

We have We Have we
walked haven't walked?
walked

You have You Have you

walked haven't walked?
walked
 They have They Have they
walked haven't walked?
walked

PAST PERFECT TENSE

FUNCTIONS OF THE PAST PERFECT
The past perfect refers to a time earlier than before now. It is used to make it clear that one
event happened before another in the past. It does not matter which event is mentioned first -
the tense makes it clear which one happened first.

In these examples, Event A is the event that happened first and Event B is the second or more
recent event:

Event A Event B

John had when I arrived in the

gone out office.

Event A Event B

I had saved my before the computer

document crashed.

Event B Event A

When they we had already

arrived started cooking.

Event B Event A

He was very because he hadn't

tired slept well.
FORMING THE PAST PERFECT
The Past Perfect tense in English is composed of two parts: the past tense of the verb to have
(had) + the past participle of the main verb.

Subject had past participle

Affirmative

She had given

Negative

She hadn't asked.

Interrogative

Had they arrived?

Interrogative Negative

Hadn't you finished?

TO DECIDE, PAST PERFECT

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I had I hadn't Had I

decided decided decided?

You had You Had you

decided hadn't decided?
decided
 Affirmative Negative Interrogative

She had She Had she

decided hadn't decided?
decided

We had We Had we
decided hadn't decided?
decided

They had They Had they

decided hadn't decided?
decided

PAST PERFECT + JUST

'Just' is used with the past perfect to refer to an event that was only a short time earlier than
before now, e.g.

 The train had just left when I arrived at the station.

 She had just left the room when the police arrived.
 I had just put the washing out when it started to rain.

FUTURE PERFECT
FORM
The future perfect is composed of two elements
the simple future of the verb "to have" (will have) + the past participle of the main verb

Subject + will + past participle of

have the main verb

He will finished.
have
 Subject + will + past participle of
have the main verb

I will finished.
have

TO ARRIVE, FUTURE PERFECT TENSE

Affirmative Negative Interrogative Negative

Interrogative

I will have I won't Will I have Won't I have

arrived have arrived? arrived?
arrived

You will You Will you have Won't you

have arrived won't arrived? have arrived?
have
arrived

He will He won't Will he have Won't he

have arrived have arrived? have arrived?
arrived

We will We Will we have Won't we

have arrived won't arrived? have arrived?
have
arrived

They will They Will they Won't they

have arrived won't have arrived? have arrived?
have
arrived

FUNCTION
The future perfect tense refers to a completed action in the future. When we use this tense we
are projecting ourselves forward into the future and looking back at an action that will be
completed some time later than now. It is most often used with a time expression.
EXAMPLES
 I will have been here for six months on June 23rd.
 By the time you read this I will have left.
 You will have finished your report by this time next week.
 Won't they have arrived by 5:00?
 Will you have eaten when I pick you up?

THE RESTAURANT

AT THE RESTAURANT

English - Spanish English only (para practicar) Spanish only (para practicar)

restaurant restaurante
drive-in restaurant restaurante sin salir del coche
fast-food restaurant restaurante de comida rápida
self-service restaurant restaurante de autoservicio
bar bar, cantina, taberna
pub pub, bar
cafe cafetería
takeaway (GB) comida para llevar, restaurante que la vende
takeout (US) comida para llevar

food comida
meal comida
hot meal comida caliente
full meal comida completa, de tres platos
square meal comida completa, de tres platos
combo combinación de comidas
snack tentempié, bocadillo
starter / entree entrada, primer plato
main course plato principal
dessert postre

appetizer aperitivo
beverage bebida
bill (GB) cuenta
bottle opener destapador
bread plate plato de pan
check (US) cuenta
chef chef
cook cocinero
 cup taza
dinner cena
dish plato
dressing aliño/condimento (de ensalada)
fork tenedor
glass vaso, copa
knife cuchillo
lunch almuerzo
menu carta, menú
fixed-price menu menú de precio fijo
mug jarro
napkin servilleta
on the rocks con hielo
saucer platito
soft drink refresco
spoon cuchara
table mesa
tablecloth mantel
tankard jarra de cerveza
tip propina
tip included servicio incluído
waiter camarero
waitress camarera

rare poco cocido (carne)

medium medio cocido (carne)
well done bien cocido (carne)

to ask for the bill pedir la cuenta

to book a table reservar una mesa
to foot the bill pagar la cuenta
to order pedir
to recommend recomendar

Enjoy your meal! ¡Buen provecho!

No smoking Prohibido fumar
No pets allowed No se permite el ingreso de animales

THE HOTEL

alojamiento accommodation
las sábanas (bed) sheets
una reclamación a complaint
una cama de matrimonio a double bed
una habitación doble a double room
una habitación con cama de matrimonio a double-bedded room
una reserva a reservation / booking
una habitación con baño a room with en suite bathroom
una cama individual a single bed
una habitación individual a single room
una propina a tip
una habitación con camas gemelas a twin-bedded room
aire acondicionado air conditioning
el bar bar
la bañera bath
un albornoz bathrobe
el botones bellboy
la cuenta bill
las mantas blankets
el / la guardacoches car park attendant / parking lot attendant
un peine comb
la camarera de pisos chambermaid
el comedor dining room
el ascensor elevator / lift
primera (segunda/tercera/cuarta) planta first (second/third/fourth) floor
el secador de pelo hair dryer
calefacción heating
agua caliente hot water
la llave key
la tarjeta llavero key card
el servicio de lavandería laundry service
el salón lounge
el equipaje luggage
el director manager
el colchón mattress
la almohada pillow
la máquina de afeitar razor
la factura receipt
la recepción reception
el / la recepcionista receptionist
una reembolsa refund
el restaurante restaurant
el servicio a las habitaciones room service
el champú shampoo
la ducha shower
una gorra de ducha shower cap
las zapatillas slippers
el jabón soap
la jabonera soap dispenser
las escaleras stairs
el grifo tap / faucet
planchar to iron
dar or dejar una señal to pay a deposit or down payment
lavar to wash
el váter toilet
el papel higiénico toilet paper
el cepillo de dientes toothbrush
la pasta dentrífica / pasta de dientes toothpaste
una toalla towel
camas gemelas twin beds
el camarero / la camarera waiter / waitress
el lavabo washbasin
la ventana window

THE TOURIST GUIDE

accomodation alojamiento
admission fee costo de la entrada
brochure folleto
camping site, campsite sitio para acampar
car rental (US) alquiler de autos
car hire (GB) alquiler de autos
car park (GB) estacionamiento
caravan casa rodante, rulot, caravana
city centre (GB) centro de la ciudad
cruise crucero
double room habitación doble
double room with twin beds habitación doble con dos camas
downtown (US) centro de la ciudad
flight vuelo
fortnight quincena
guesthouse casa de huéspedes, pensión
guide guía
high season temporada alta
hiking trail sendero de caminata
holidays (GB) vacaciones
holidaymaker veraneante, turista
hostel hostal
hotel hotel
hotel chain cadena de hoteles
inn posada
low season temporada baja
motor-home casa rodante
one-way ticket (US) viaje de ida
package deal paquete
parking lot (US) estacionamiento

resort lugar de vacaciones

return ticket (GB) viaje de ida y vuelta
round ticket (US) viaje de ida y vuelta
season temporada
sightseeing tour visita con guía
single ticket (GB) viaje de ida
single room habitación simple
sightseer turista, excursionista
ski resort estación de esquí
sun lotion bronceador
sunglasses gafas de sol
sunblock filtro solar
sunburn quemadura de sol
theme park parque de diversiones
time-sharing tiempo compartido
tour operator empresa de viajes
tourist office oficina de turismo
travel agency agencia de viajes
travel agent agente de viajes
vacation (US) vacaciones
voyage viaje (en barco o nave espacial)
waiting list lista de espera
youth hostel albergue juvenil

to book reservar
to confirm confirmar
to drive conducir
to fly volar
to go on holiday (GB) / vacation (US) irse de vacaciones
to go abroad irse al extranjero
to go camping ir de camping
to go climbing ir a escalar
to go hiking ir a dar una caminata
to go mountaineering hacer alpinismo
to go sightseeing visitar lugares de interés
to go skiing ir a esquiar
to go swimming ir a nadar
to go to the beach ir a la playa
to have a good time pasarlo bien
to have a bad time pasarlo mal
to make a reservation reservar
to hold a reservation mantener una reserva
to plan organizar
to rent a car alquilar un auto
to stay permanecer
to sunbathe tomar sol
to take a holiday (GB) / vacation (US) tomarse vacaciones
to take a photograph tomar una fotografía
to travel viajar