Present perfect + simple present (Murphy Unit 13)
Pattern
Section titled “Pattern”Present perfect (action with current relevance) + simple present (current state as a result).
| Sentence 1 (action) | Sentence 2 (current state) | Implied meaning |
|---|---|---|
| The trees have grown a lot. | They are very tall now. | Past growth → current height |
| I have worked hard. | I am tired now. | Past effort → current tiredness |
| She has eaten. | She is full now. | Past meal → current state |
| We have waited an hour. | We are bored now. | Past waiting → current feeling |
Cure-Dolly gloss: present perfect = the bridge (“the action happened and is relevant”); simple present = the landing (“this is the current state”).
Why “so” doesn’t fit
Section titled “Why “so” doesn’t fit”“So” + action = a reaction to a problem / decisive cause. The cause needs to be evaluative, not just descriptive.
| Statement | Tone | “So” works? |
|---|---|---|
| “The trees have grown a lot.” | neutral, descriptive | no |
| “The trees have grown too much.” | complaint, decisive | yes → “so I cut them down” |
| “I have worked hard today.” | ongoing, neutral | no |
| “I have worked too hard today.” | complaint, decisive | yes → “so I am tired” |
Rule of thumb: “so” needs a subjective evaluation in the cause. The evaluation IS the trigger. Without it (no “too” / “so + adj” / “enough”), no “so”.
Test application
Section titled “Test application”The trees have grown a lot. ___
- A: “So I cut them down.” — wrong. “So” needs a problem, but the cause is neutral. Pair would work with past simple: “The trees grew too tall. So I cut them down.”
- B: “They’re very tall now.” — right. Present perfect (action with current relevance) → simple present (current state). No “so” needed; the link is implicit.
Test application 2 (police)
Section titled “Test application 2 (police)”The police have arrested three people. ___
✓ They’re at the police station. — present perfect (action with current relevance) + simple present (current state = result). Same machine as trees/height.
✗ “Later all three were released.” — later opens a new past time frame, so the perfect loses its bridge; that pair wants past simple both sides (were arrested … were released).
Test application 3 — Unit 13 items seen in drills
Section titled “Test application 3 — Unit 13 items seen in drills”| Sentence 1 | ✓ Partner | ✗ Wrong partner | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| The trees have grown a lot. | They’re very tall now. | So I cut them down. | no trigger word; perfect → present state |
| The police have arrested three people. | They’re at the police station. | Later all three were released. | later re-opens the past → wants past simple |
| Drugs have become a big problem everywhere. | (no time word → perfect) | Drugs became… | became needs a finished time point |
| My English has improved. | It’s much better now. | improved | perfect = result live now; simple needs a past frame |
The machine once more: present perfect (action, current relevance) → simple present (the state that results). Any past time word (later, in 1990, last year, then) kills the perfect and switches everything to past simple.
The “too / so / enough” trigger words
Section titled “The “too / so / enough” trigger words”| Trigger | Effect | Example |
|---|---|---|
| too + adj | makes it a problem | “grown too much” → “so I cut them down” |
| so + adj (that) | makes it a problem | “grown so tall” → “so I cut them down” |
| adj + enough | makes it a threshold | “tall enough” → “so I can reach the top” |
| (no trigger) | neutral, no reaction | “grown a lot” → descriptive continuation only |
Why this matters for Indonesian speakers
Section titled “Why this matters for Indonesian speakers”Indonesian sudah (already) covers both English “have done” (present perfect) and “did” (past simple). Translating requires choosing based on whether the result is currently relevant:
- Pohonnya sudah tinggi = “The trees are tall” (current state) → simple present
- Pohonnya sudah tumbuh banyak = “The trees have grown a lot” (action with current relevance) → present perfect
- Pohonnya tumbuh banyak = “The trees grew a lot” (past event, no current link stated) → past simple
Trick: if you’re about to describe a current state, prefer present perfect. If you’re about to describe a past action in response, use past simple.
Layered summary
Section titled “Layered summary”| Layer | What it does |
|---|---|
| Grammar (the rule) | present perfect + simple present = action-and-result pairing |
| Pragmatics (the meaning) | “so” needs a problem; no problem, no “so” |
Both layers work. The grammar is the form. The pragmatics is why the form is what it is.
Source
Section titled “Source”Raymond Murphy, English Grammar in Use (4th ed.), Unit 13 — Present perfect and past 1. Ebot lesson 2026-08-29: test item “The trees have grown a lot. ___” with options including “So I cut them down” (wrong — no trigger word) and “They’re very tall now” (right — present perfect + simple present pairing). User’s summary: “A. ‘So’ doesn’t needed because the previous sentence doesn’t imply a negative state. B. It’s the conditional version of if-present-perfect-then-simple-present.”