Unit

7 Present perfect 1 (I have done)

A Study this example
situation:
Tom can’t find his key.
I’ve lost my key. He’s lost his key. (= He has lost …)
he has lost his key =
he lost it and he doesn’t have it now
have lost / has lost is the present perfect simple:
finished
I/we/they/you have (= I’ve etc.)
lost
done
he/she/it has (= he’s etc.) been etc.

The present perfect simple is have/has + past participle. The past participle often ends in -ed
(finished/decided etc.), but many verbs are irregular (lost/done/written etc.).
For a list of irregular verbs, see Appendix 1.

B When we say ‘something has happened’, this is usually new

information: Ow! I’ve cut my finger.
The road is closed. There’s been an accident. (= There has been …)
Police have arrested two men in connection with the robbery.
When we use the present perfect, there is a connection with now. The action in the past has a result
now: Tom has lost his key. (= he doesn’t have it now)
He told me his name, but I’ve forgotten it. (= I can’t remember it now)
Sally is still here. She hasn’t gone out. (= she is here now)
I can’t find my bag. Have you seen it? (= do you know where it is now?)
Compare gone (to) and been (to):
James is on holiday. He has gone to Italy. (= he is there now or on his way
there) Amy is back home now. She has been to Italy. (= she has now come
back)

C You can use the present perfect with just, already and yet.
Just = a short time ago:
‘Are you hungry?’ ‘No, I’ve just had
lunch.’ Hello. Have you just arrived?
Already = sooner than expected:
‘Don’t forget to pay the bill.’ ‘I’ve already paid
it.’ ‘What time is Mark leaving?’ ‘He’s already
left.’
Yet = until now. We use yet to show that we are expecting something to
happen. We use yet in questions and negative sentences:
Has it stopped raining yet?
I’ve written the email, but I haven’t sent it yet.

D You can also use the past simple (did, went, had etc.) in the examples on this page. So you can
say: Ben isn’t here. He’s gone out. or He went out.
‘Are you hungry?’ ‘No, I’ve just had lunch.’ or ‘No, I just had lunch.’
 Present perfect ➜ Units 8, 11been to ➜ Units 8A, 126APresent perfect continuous ➜ Units 9–10
14 Present perfect and past ➜ Units 12–14yet and already ➜ Unit 111American English ➜ Appendix 7
 Unit
Exercises
7
7.1 Read the situations and complete the sentences using the present perfect. Choose from these
verbs:
breakdisappeargo upgrowimproveloseshrinkstop

1 Tom is looking for his key. He can’t find it. Tom has lost his key.
2 Maria’s English wasn’t very good. Now it is better. Her English
3 My bag was here, but it isn’t here any more. My bag
4 Lisa can’t walk and her leg is in plaster. Lisa
5 Last week the bus fare was £1.80. Now it is £2. The bus fare
6 Dan didn’t have a beard before. Now he has a beard. Dan
7 It was raining ten minutes ago. It isn’t raining now. It
8 I washed my sweater, and now it’s too small for me. My sweater

7.2 Put in been or gone.

1 My parents are on holiday. They’ve gone to Italy.
2 Hello! I’ve just to the shops. I’ve bought lots of things.
3 Tom has just out. He’ll be back in about an hour.
4 Alice isn’t here at the moment. I don’t know where she’s .
5 You’re very late. Where have you ?

7.3 Complete the sentences using the present perfect.

1 Sally is still here. She hasn’t gone (she / not / go) out.
2 I can’t find my bag. (you / see / it) anywhere?
3 I can’t log on to the website. (I / forget) my password.
4 I sent Joe an email this morning, but (he / not / reply).
5 Is the meeting still going on, or (it / finish)?
6 (the weather / change). It’s colder now.
7 (you / not / sign) the form. Could you sign it now,
please?
8 Are your friends still here, or (they / go) home?
9 Paul doesn’t know what he’s going to do.
(he / not / decide / yet).
10 ‘Do you know where Julia is?’ ‘Yes, (I / just / see / her).’
11 ‘When is David going away?’ ‘ (he / already / go).’
12 A: (your course / start / yet)?
b: Not yet. It starts next week.

7.4 Read the situations and write sentences with just, already or yet.
1 After lunch you go to see a friend at her house. She says, ‘Would you like something to
eat?’ You say: No thank you. I’ve just had lunch . (have lunch)
2 Joe goes out. Five minutes later, the phone rings and the caller says, ‘Can I speak to Joe?’
You say: I’m afraid . (go out)
3 You are eating in a restaurant. The waiter thinks you have finished and starts to take your plate
away. You say: Wait a minute! . (not / finish)
4 You plan to eat at a restaurant tonight. You phone to reserve a table. Later your friend says,
‘Shall I phone to reserve a table?’ You say: No, . (do it)
5 You know that Lisa is looking for a place to live. Perhaps she has been successful.
You ask her: ? (find)
6 You are still thinking about where to go for your holiday. A friend asks, ‘Where are you going
for your holiday?’ You say: . (not / decide)
7 Laura went out, but a few minutes ago she returned. Somebody asks, ‘Is Laura still out?’
You say: No, . (come back)
Unit
8 Present perfect 2 (I have done)
A Study this example conversation:
DAVE: Have you travelled a
lot, Jane? JANE: Yes, I’ve been Jane
to lots of places. ’s
DAVE: Really? Have you ever been life
to China? JANE: Yes, I’ve been to (a period
China twice. until now)
DAVE: What about India?
JANE: No, I haven’t been to India. past now
When we talk about a period of time that continues from the past until now, we
use the present perfect (have been / have travelled etc.). Here, Dave and Jane
are talking about the places Jane has visited in her life, which is a period that
continues until now.

In the same way we say:

Have you ever eaten
caviar? We’ve never
had a car.
I don’t know what the film is about. I haven’t seen it.
Susan really loves that book. She’s read it three times.
(She’s = She has) It’s a really boring movie. It’s the most
boring movie I’ve ever seen.
been (to) = visited:
I’ve never been to Canada. Have you been there?

B In the following examples too, the speakers are talking about a period that
continues until now (recently, in the last few days, so far, since I arrived
etc.):
Have you heard anything from Ben recently? recently
I’ve met a lot of people in the last few days.
in the last few days
Everything is going well. There haven’t been any
problems so far. since I
The weather is bad here. It’s (= It has) rained arrived
every day since I arrived. (= from when I past now
arrived until now)
It’s good to see you again. We haven’t seen each other for a long time.
In the same way we use the present perfect with today, this evening, this year
etc. when these periods are not finished at the time of speaking:
I’ve drunk four cups of coffee today. today
Have you had a holiday this year?
I haven’t seen Tom this morning. past now
Have you?

C We say ‘It’s the (first) time something has happened’. For hap
example: Don is having a driving lesson. It’s his pen
first lesson. s)
We can say: A
It’s the first time he has driven a car. (not n
drives) d
or He hasn’t driven a car before. y
or He has never driven a car before.
i
In the same way we say:
s
Sarah has lost her passport again. This is the
second time this has happened. (not
p
honing I’ve driven a car.
again.
time he
this evening

16 Present perfect 1 ➜ Unit 7Present perfect + for/since ➜ Units 11–12Present perfect and past ➜ Units 12–14
 Unit
Exercises
8
8.1 You ask people about things they have done. Write questions with ever.
1 (ride / horse?) Have you ever ridden a horse?
2 (be / California?) Have
3 (run / marathon?)
4 (speak / famous person?)
5 (most beautiful place / visit?) What’s

8.2 Complete B’s answers. Some sentences are positive and some negative. Use these verbs:
bebeeathappenhavehavemeetplayreadseetry

A B
I’ve no idea. I’ve never met her.
1
Yes, we
What’s Mark’s sister like? Is everything going well?haven’t had any problems so far. Yes. Imuch today.
2 Are you hungry? Can you Yes,play butfor
chess? ages. Yes, it’s the best holidayfor a long time. I don’t know.it.
Are you
3 enjoying your holiday? What’s that bookI’ve no
about?
idea.there.
Is Brussels an interesting
Yes, it’s
place?
the second time this month.
4 I hear your car broke down
I don’tagain
know.it.
5 yesterday. Do you Again?
like caviar?
Helate every day this week. I don’t know.her before.
6 Mike was late for work again today.
Who’s that woman by the door?
7
8

9
10
11

8.3 Write four sentences about yourself. Use I haven’t and choose from the boxes.
used a computertravelled by buseaten any fruit been to the cinemaread a booklost anything
today this week recently for ages since …

1 I haven’t used a computer today.

2
3
4
5

8.4 Read the situations and complete the sentences.

1 Jack is driving a car for the first time. He’s very nervous and not sure what to do.
It’s the first time he’s driven a car.
2 Some children at the zoo are looking at a giraffe. They’ve never seen one before.
It’s the first time a giraffe.
3 Sue is riding a horse. She doesn’t look very confident or comfortable.
She before.
4 Joe and Lisa are on holiday in Japan. They’ve been to Japan once before.
This is the second time .
5 Emily is staying at the Prince Hotel. She stayed there a few years ago.
It’s not the first this hotel.
6 Ben is playing tennis for the first time. He’s a complete beginner.
before.

17