Track records: the present perfect

“I've been in eight races so far this year” — talking about your results up to now.

The joke uses two tenses. The narrator tells what happened that day in the simple past. The horses and the dog talk about their results up to now — the year isn't finished — so they use the present perfect. Click ▶ to hear the sentences of the joke.

Present perfect

have / has + past participle

A result up to now: the period isn't finished (this year, so far), or the moment isn't important (never, ever).

“I've been in eight races so far this year, and I've won five of them.”
“That's nothing!” interrupted the second racehorse. “I've run in twelve races since the beginning of this year, and I've won seven of them.”
“I've taken part in fifteen races this year…”
“…but I've been in forty-five races this year, up till now,
and I haven't lost any of them!”
I've never heard anything like it!” said one of them…

I / you / we / they have ('ve) · he / she / it has ('s)
Negative: I haven't lost · Question: Have you ever seen…?

Simple past

verb-ed or irregular verb

The events of the story: a finished moment in the past (one day, yesterday, last year).

There were four racehorses in a stable one day.
It was raining, and they were bored, so they started talking about their track records.
One of them boasted:
The third racehorse broke in: “Well,
At this point, they noticed that a small greyhound dog was sitting and listening…
The horses were absolutely amazed.

Negative: he didn't lose · Question: Did he win?

The time words of the present perfect

so farup till nowthis year / this monthsince + a starting pointfor + a durationneverever?not… yetnot… any

✘ I have won five races last year → ✔ I won five races last year. (finished)
✔ I 've won five races this year. (not finished)

The past participles of the joke

be → beenrun → runtake → takendo → donewin → wonlose → losthear → heardsee → seenknow → knowngo → gone

Now practise: present perfect or simple past? →

All the activities of Track records