Present Perfect Tense
What is the present perfect tense?
The present perfect tense is an English verb tense used to describe a past action that is related
to the present.
When is the present perfect used?
The present perfect tense is used to link past actions or events to the present moment.
Understanding how and when to use this tense is essential for mastering English grammar.
How does the present perfect tense work?
The present perfect tense uses the auxiliary verb has or have and the past participle form of the
main verb. For example, if you want to use go in the present perfect tense, you say, “I have
gone.”
Formation of Present Perfect
[Subject] + [has/have] + [past participle of the main verb]
Subject: The person or thing performing the action.
Has/Have:
Use "has" with third person singular subjects (he, she, it).
Use "have" with all other subjects (I, you, we, they).
Past Participle:
Regular verbs: add -ed (e.g., walked, played).
Irregular verbs: use specific forms (e.g., gone, eaten).
When to Use the Present Perfect Tense
We use the present perfect:
When we are talking about our experience up to the present:
Examples: I have seen that film before.
I have played the guitar ever since I was a teenager.
We often use the adverb ever to talk about experience up to the present:
Example: My last birthday was the worst day I have ever had.
And we use never for the negative form:
Example: Have you ever met Peter? Yes, but I have never met his wife.
Unspecified Time Before Now:
When the exact time of the action is not important.
Example: "I have visited Paris."
Repeated Actions:
To show that an action happened multiple times.
Example: "She has seen that movie three times."
Actions Continuing to the Present:
For something that started in the past and continues in the present:
Example: They have been married for nearly fifty years.
She has lived in Liverpool all her life.
Recent Actions with Present Relevance:
To highlight actions completed recently with effects on the present.
Example: "He has just finished his homework."
Sentence Structures
Affirmative Sentences: [Subject] + [has/have] + [past participle]
Examples: "I have finished my project."
"She has called her friend."
Negative Sentences: [Subject] + [has/have] + [not] + [past participle]
Examples: "I have not (haven't) finished my project."
"She has not (hasn't) called her friend."
Questions: [Has/Have] + [subject] + [past participle]?
Examples: "Have you finished your project?"
"Has she called her friend?"
Negative Questions: [Hasn't/Haven't] + [subject] + [past participle]?
Examples: "Haven't you finished your project?"
"Hasn't she called her friend?"
Contractions
I have = I've, You have = You've, He has = He's, She has = She's, It has = It's,
We have = We've They have = They've, I have not = I haven't,
You have not = You haven't, He has not = He hasn't, She has not = She hasn't,
It has not = It hasn't, We have not = We haven't, They have not = They haven't
Time Expressions Used with Present Perfect
Never: Use to indicate that something has not happened at any time.
Often use to talk about life experiences.
Example: "I have never eaten sushi."
Ever: Use in questions to ask if something has happened at any time.
Often use to talk about life experiences.
Example: "Have you ever been to London?"
Already: Use to indicate that something happened sooner than expected.
Typically use in affirmative sentences.
Already comes between the auxiliary verb(has/have) and the past participle.
Example: "They have already seen this movie."
Just: Use to describe an action that happened very recently.
Just comes between the auxiliary verb(has/have) and the past participle.
Example: "She has just left the office."
Yet: Use in questions and negative sentences to talk about something expected to
happen.
Yet (in this context) is only used in negative sentences and questions.
Yet comes at the end of the sentences or questions.
Example (question): "Have you finished your homework yet?"
Example (negative): "I haven’t finished my homework yet."
Still: Use to indicate that something expected to happen has not happened by now.
Still (in this context) is only used in negative sentences.
Still comes between the subject and auxiliary verb (haven't/hasn't).
Example: "I still haven’t received my results."
Recently/Lately: Use to describe actions that happened in the recent past.
Recently can be placed at the beginning or end of a sentence.
It can also be placed between the auxiliary verb (has/have) and the past participle.
Example: "I have seen him recently."
"She hasn't recently been to the gym."
"Have you recently visited the museum?"
For: Use to show the duration of an action.
Example: "We have lived here for five years."
Since: Use to show when an action started.
Example: "He has worked here since 2015."
