Abstract

Previous corpus-based studies have reported that the present perfect is more frequently used without adverbials. In contrast, in pedagogical contexts, it is often taught in association with adverbials. This study aims to provide teaching insights for Japanese university students on the co-occurrence patterns of the present perfect with adverbials. The analysis focuses on such patterns in paragraph writing by Japanese university students at CEFR A2 and B1 levels, as well as in example sentences from university-level ELT grammar materials and high school English textbooks. The results reveal that university students used the present perfect with adverbials more frequently in their writing. Overall, ELT materials provide more examples of the present perfect co-occurring with adverbials, and all the high school textbooks examined show a similarly high frequency of such co-occurrence. While pedagogical grammar can help learners’ understanding, instruction that overemphasizes the co-occurrence relationships may prevent learners from using the present perfect independently of adverbials. At the university level, it may be necessary to supplement explanations in teaching materials by raising students’ awareness that the present perfect is more often used without adverbials and by providing sufficient contextualized examples to ensure a thorough understanding of its meanings.