Present Perfect is Perfect for Talking about the Past on the IELTS exam
Today you will learn the best way to use the present perfect tense for IELTS Speaking and Writing Go to allearsenglish.com/keys to get the 3 Keys IELTS system for every IELTS Exam. Welcome to IELTS Energy TV. I am your teacher Aubrey Carter. Today you will learn the best way to use the present perfect tense for IELTS Speaking and Writing Congratulations to Polina! She posted a few days ago in the 3 Keys facebook group that she got an 8 in Listening, an 8.5 in Reading, and the 7 she needed in writing. Our Facebook group is exclusive to 3 Keys students, so if you want to be a part of an extremely active and supportive IELTS network, go to http://allearsenglish.com/keys. You can boost your IELTS grammar scores by using the present perfect verb tense. I’ll explain an easy way to use it on the IELTS exam! We discussed this verb tense in episode 974 of the All Ears English podcast and IELTS Energy episode 813, so check those out for some excellent tips and example sentences. We use present perfect to describe past experiences, when the experience is what’s important rather than when it happened. For the IELTS exam, use it to introduce stories. In Speaking Part 1 if you are asked, “How often do you spend time with friends?” you can use the present perfect tense to say, “I have spent a lot of time with my friends this week!” You can then switch to the present tense to provide more details. “Usually we meet for lunch, and we always like to chat about the week.” In Speaking Part 2, the question will often be in present perfect tense, like “Describe a vacation you have taken.” You will want to use that same tense when you first begin your answer. “I have visited many countries all over the world. I have loved every trip!” As soon as you get into details, you will need to use past simple for a question like this, where you are describing a trip you took in the past. “When I was 22, I went on an African safari.” Provide details about who you went with, where you stayed and what you saw. Tell a story! On your Task 2 essay, you can also introduce ideas with the present perfect tense. If the topic asks about factories polluting the environment, you could write, “For decades, industrial companies have polluted the environment in a myriad of ways. They have released toxic sludge into water sources, as well as noxious chemicals into the air.” For more strategies that will help you get the score you need on the IELTS exam, join our 3 Keys IELTS Success System at allearsenglish.com/keys And if you liked this video, hit subscribe and share it with your friends.
