This is an answer I gave to another Italian student who asked about the present and past perfect a few weeks ago. I hope you find it useful: The present perfect is a 'linking tense' (like a bridge) connecting to the present, whereas the past perfect is a 'linking tense' connecting to the past. Let's say you live in London now. You moved there in 2012. So you would say: 'I live in London. I've lived here since 2012'. You use the present perfect here to talk about the time period which began in 2012, and has continued into the present. This tense links the past (2012) with the present time. The past perfect describes a situation previous to a time in the past. It's the same form and use as in Italian. For example: When I came to London in 2012, it was my first time outside Italy. I had never lived abroad before. This form connects a past time (2012) with a time before that point (the years before 2012). I hope that makes sense. Please ask if anything's not clear.