Comparative perspective of pretérito perfeito composto, pretérito perfecto and present perfect

The aim of this paper is to highlight a problematic use of the Portuguese tense Pretérito Perfeito Composto in comparison to the use of English Present Perfect and Spanish Pretérito Perfecto Compuesto. A great number of mistakes in use of this tense is observed in the students’ production in their L3 Portuguese as a result of apparent similarity between the Portuguese and the Spanish tense. The article is expected to present differences in temporal and aspectual approaches of these tenses. The use of Portuguese construction is much more restricted, limited in fact to the imperfect, repeated or prolonged actions that continue in the present. However, the apparent similarities in form provoke the students to transfer the tense constructions from the other languages. We observe the mechanisms of transfer and try to underline the essential differences in usage of these tenses