When we ask people to tell a story from their life, and relate something that happened in the past to things that happen in the present - we might find ourselves in need of a new tense: Present Perfect.
For example: If your friend is your friend for a long time you can say "We have been friends for many years".
Other examples:
She has lived here all her life.
He has finished his homework.
They have written three letters already.
Watch the following video clip to understand what it is and how to use it:
Read the explanation about the present perfect here.
Thanks to Lihi, here is a link to an explanation in Hebrew: click here
Look at the diagrams of tenses here.
Exercise your understanding here!
More exercise - look for "tenses - present perfect" in this page.
If this new "perfect" tense has confused you, watch this video with a short explanation about the difference between "simple tenses", "progressive tenses", and "perfect tenses".