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  • Present Perfect Tense | Examples & Use

Present Perfect Tense | Examples & Use

Published on April 4, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan . Revised on September 25, 2023.

The present perfect tense is a verb form used to refer to a past action or situation that has a present consequence. It’s typically used to indicate experience up to the present, recent actions, or a change that occurred over a period of time.

The present perfect is formed using the auxiliary verb “have” and the past participle of the main verb (e.g., “I have eaten”). However, the third person singular (e.g., “he,” “she,” and “it”) uses “has” instead of “have.”

Present perfect forms

Table of contents

How to use the present perfect, past simple vs. present perfect, present perfect vs. present perfect continuous, how to form negatives, how to form questions, how to form the passive voice, other interesting language articles, frequently asked questions about the present perfect tense.

The present perfect is used to refer to a completed past action that’s relevant to the present or to an action that began in the past and may continue in the present.

It’s used to talk about experience up to now , a change that occurred over time , recent actions (often used with “just”), and unfinished action that is expected to be completed (in the negative, often with “yet”).

The present perfect is formed using the auxiliary verb “have” along with the past participle of the main verb. The only exception is the third person singular form (“he,” “she,” “it,” and singular nouns), which uses “has” instead of “have.”

In affirmative present perfect statements, the subject and auxiliary verb are often contracted (e.g., “ I’ve dreamed”).

The theater group has improved .

Sashi has just brushed his teeth.

The present perfect can also be used along with future simple tense constructions to describe a future action. In these instances, the present perfect clause is usually preceded by a subordinating conjunction (e.g., “when,” “until”).

After Anna has presented the report, we’ll take a short break . Note When the present perfect occurs more than once in a sentence and refers to the same subject, the second verb can be written without the auxiliary verb “have.” If the second instance refers to a different subject, a conjugated form of the auxiliary verb should be included.

  • I’ve cleaned the kitchen and cooked dinner.
  • Jennifer has left , and Henry has arrived .

Indicating time

As the present perfect refers to an action that occurred at an unspecified time in the past, sentences in the present perfect commonly use adverbs that refer to non-specific time (e.g., “ever,” “never,” “once,” and “so far”).

Expressions that refer to a specific time (e.g., “last week,” “yesterday”) are typically used along with a preposition (e.g., “for,” “since”).

  • I’ve worked on this project yesterday .
  • I’ve worked on this project since yesterday .
  • Sophie has felt ill last week .
  • Sophie has felt ill for the last week .

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Both the present perfect and past simple refer to past action. However, they have different functions:

  • The past simple is typically used to refer to an action that occurred at a definite time in the past and will not continue.
  • The present perfect is used to refer to an action that occurred in the past and has present consequences or to an action that began in the past and may continue.

I have seen that film before. [I may see it again.]

I went to Toronto last year.

Both the present perfect and the present perfect continuous can be used to refer to the present consequences of a past action or situation (e.g., “I have lived here for two years” and “I have been living here for two years”).

However, they cannot always be used interchangeably:

  • The present perfect can be used to refer to a past action or situation that may continue in the present.
  • The present perfect continuous refers to actions or situations that began in the past and are definitely continuing in the present.

Aria has been traveling the world. [She is still traveling.] Note Stative verbs (e.g., “know,” “feel,” “want”) can be used in the present perfect to describe states of being that began in the past.

These verbs are typically not used in the present perfect continuous .

  • I have been knowing him for years.
  • I have known him for years.

Negatives are formed by adding the adverb “not” between the subject and the main verb . This is the case for all subjects.

To ask a yes–no question in the present perfect, put the auxiliary verb first, followed by the subject and the past participle of the main verb.

To ask a question using a wh-word (an interrogative pronoun like “what” or an interrogative adverb like “when”), place the pronoun or adverb before “have” (or “has” for the third person singular).

What have we done?

In a passive sentence, the subject is acted upon (rather than performing the action). In the present perfect, the passive voice is formed by adding the past participle of the verb “be” (i.e., “been”) between the auxiliary verb and the past participle of the main verb .

The thieves have been followed by the police.

If you want to know more about nouns , pronouns , verbs , and other parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations and examples.

Nouns & pronouns

  • Common nouns
  • Possessive nouns
  • Indefinite pronouns
  • Relative pronouns
  • Interrogative pronouns
  • Simple present
  • Modal verbs
  • Conditional sentences
  • Subjunctive mood
  • Imperative mood
  • Interjections
  • Determiners
  • Prepositions

The present perfect tense and the present perfect continuous can both be used to refer to the present consequences of a past action or situation:

  • The present perfect can be used to refer to a past action that may continue in the present (e.g., “I have lived here for six months”).
  • The present perfect continuous refers to actions or situations that began in the past and are definitely continuing in the present (e.g., “I have been arguing with him constantly”).
  • The past simple is typically used to refer to an action that was completed at a definite time in the past (e.g., “I slept in this morning”).
  • The present perfect is used to refer to a past action that has present consequences or to an action that began in the past and may continue (e.g., “I have written a book”).

Sources in this article

We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.

Ryan, E. (2023, September 25). Present Perfect Tense | Examples & Use. Scribbr. Retrieved March 20, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/verbs/present-perfect/
Aarts, B. (2011). Oxford modern English grammar . Oxford University Press.
Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015). Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Garner, B. A. (2022). Garner’s modern English usage (5th ed.). Oxford University Press.

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  • English Grammar
  • Present tense

Present perfect

Level: beginner

The present perfect is formed from the present tense of the verb have and the past participle of a verb.

We use the present perfect:

for something that started in the past and continues in the present :

They 've been married for nearly fifty years. She has lived in Liverpool all her life.
  • when we are talking about our experience up to the present :
I 've seen that film before. I 've played the guitar ever since I was a teenager. He has written three books and he is working on another one.

We often use the adverb ever to talk about experience up to the present:

My last birthday was the worst day I have ever had .

and we use never for the negative form :

Have you ever met George? Yes, but I 've never met his wife.

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for something that happened in the past but is important in the present :

I can't get in the house. I 've lost my keys. Teresa isn't at home. I think she has gone shopping.

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have been and have gone

We use have/has been when someone has gone to a place and returned :

A: Where have you been ? B: I 've just been out to the supermarket.
A: Have you ever been to San Francisco? B: No, but I 've been to Los Angeles.

But when someone has not returned , we use have/has gone :

A: Where's Maria? I haven't seen her for weeks. B: She 's gone to Paris for a week. She'll be back tomorrow.  

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Present perfect with time adverbials 

We often use the present perfect with adverbials which refer to the recent past :

Scientists have recently discovered a new breed of monkey. We have just got back from our holidays.

or adverbials which include the present :

Have you ever seen a ghost? Where have you been up to now ? A: Have you finished your homework yet ? B: No, so far I 've only done my history.

After a clause with the present perfect we often use a clause with since to show when something started in the past :

I 've worked here since I left school . I 've been watching that programme every week since it started .

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I have seen that film yesterday . We have just bought a new car last week . When we were children we have been to California.
Have you seen Helen today ? We have bought a new car this week .

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Level: intermediate

Present perfect continuous

The present perfect continuous is formed with have/has been and the -ing form of the verb.

We normally use the present perfect continuous to emphasise that something is still continuing in the present :

She has been living in Liverpool all her life. It 's been raining for hours. I'm tired out. I 've been working all day. They have been staying with us since last week.

We do not normally use the present perfect continuous with stative verbs . We use the present perfect simple instead:

I 've always been liking liked John.

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Present perfect for future

We normally use the present simple  to talk about the future  in clauses with before, after, until,  etc.:

I'll keep looking until I find my book. We'll begin when everyone arrives .

but we can also use the present perfect :

I'll keep looking until I have found my book. We'll begin when everyone has arrived .

Hello, Sir. I wanted to know if the two sentences are correct. 1. Did any of your friends graduate this year? 2. Have any of your friends graduated this year? I think sentence 1 is more correct because the action finished although the time is not over. Personally it's not possible that "graduate" happens again. However, we can use the present perfect to introduce a new piece of information, so I think the present perfect is also correct. Thank you for your time.

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Hello Sokhomkim,

Yes, both sentences are possibly correct. Which one is better depends on when the graduation was, what day it is now and how the speaker views the events or how relevant the graduation might be to the situation the speaker and listener are in. There are many different possibilities.

Best wishes, Kirk LearnEnglish team

Thank you so much, Sir. 1. My friends graduated in October. Now it's November. The year is not over yet. Is it correct to say "my friends graduated from high school this year. 2. My friends graduated in December (2023). Now it's Jan 1, 2024. Can I use the phrase "this year"? "My friends graduated from high school this year." A friend of mine told me that "this year" is only used with the present perfect because the time is not over. Your reply is really a big help for me. Thank you for your time.

Yes, 1 is correct.

In the case of 2, if you're thinking of an academic year from September to June, then yes, it's fine to say 'this year'. If you're thinking of the calendar year, then it would be strange to say 'this year'; instead, I'd probably say 'last month'. You could even say 'just' if you take a perspective that last month is relatively recent -- in the grand scheme of most people's lives, one month is not a long time ago.

As you can see, it really depends a lot on how the speaker sees the situation.

What your friend told you about 'this year' and the present perfect is a general rule that teachers often give to students. Many such rules -- like this one -- don't cover the vast field of possible uses of different forms. They are useful, but it's more important to understand the logic behind them, which I can see you are working hard to do. Keep it up!

Is there an option to download the explanations and exercises of this page?

Hello Christine Athens,

We have not created PDFs of these pages, but if the copy is for your own personal use, you are welcome to copy the explanation and exercises into a document.

Hello, could explain why "create" without "s"? "Have you ever watched somebody create a stunning painting?"

Hello viva,

We add -s to regular third-person present forms, so we normally say he (she/it) creates, as you suggest. However, the construction here is watch someone + base form : watch him create . The main verb (which does have -s in the present simple) is 'watch'.

The other sense verbs work in the same way:

watch something happen >  see / hear / listen to / feel / smell something happen

The LearnEnglish Team

Could I use present simple to answer the question with present perfect tense? E.g Why has she left? She is busy dealing with her tasks.

Hi Khangvo2812,

Yes, you can. Even though the answer has a different tense, it still clearly answers the original question.

LearnEnglish

There have been a lot of Vietnamese who thought I was a boy when they first heard my name because my name is very common for boys. Could I combine the tenses like the above?

Yes, sure! It's correctly written and the meaning is clear.

LearnEnglish team

I would like to ask regarding the question you have made in the section "Present perfect continuous 1"

why is the question "Stefan has been looking really sad since he came back from holiday. Do you know what's the matter?" using present perfect continuous? isnt it started since in the past bc there is "since he came back from holiday?" why wasn't it written in present prefect?

Hi ashiecajlenreese,

We can use "since" phrases with the present perfect continuous too (not just the present perfect simple). But the present perfect continuous emphasises that the action continues into the present moment. The present perfect simple can also mean that, but the continuous form emphasises the "still happening now" meaning more. It seems like a really current and immediate concern for the speaker. In comparison, if we say "Stefan has looked really sad since ...", the issue seems less immediate.

Also, it's common to use continuous forms for actions that we consider to be temporary, or not the usual situation, which also seems to be the case here.

I hope that helps to understand it.

Hello, Sir. I wanted to know why the present perfect simple is the correct option. A: I'm very hungry. B: I'm not surprised. You ..... all day. a. haven't been eating b. haven't eaten I think the phrase "all day" is mostly used with the perfect continuous except the stative verbs. Could I use the present perfect continuous in the sentence above? If so, I wanted to know what the difference between them is. Thank you for your time. Best Wishes!

The simple form is best here because you are interested in the result of a situation. Generally, the progressive form focuses on the activity, especially an incomplete or interrupted activity, while the simple form focuses on the result. Here are some examples to clarify:

  • I've read War and Peace > I can tell you about it / I don't want to borrow it / I want to see the film
  • I've been reading War and Peace > my eyes are tired / I haven't read another book / I haven't been out much recently
  • I've cooked dinner > you can have some / I'm ready to go out / I don't want to phone for a pizza
  • I've been cooking dinner > the kitchen is a mess / I'm tired / there's a smell in the house

It's generally more a question of nuance than a black and white rule, of course.

Hi, can you please clarify this? you have mentioned here that present perfect tense can be used when saying something which happened in past but important for now.

Is this sentence correct "I cannot enter my home because I have lost the key yesterday?

I have heard like present perfect tense should not be used when describing an event which happened in definite time in past and simple past tense has to be used instead Please kindly sort this out

advance thanks

Hi zamrasahamed,

Yes, what you said at the end of your message is right. With the present perfect, the past time is not normally given. Both of these sentences are fine:

  • I cannot enter my home because I lost the key yesterday . (past simple)
  • I cannot enter my home because I have lost the key . (present perfect)

In both sentences, "I lost the key yesterday" and "I have lost the key" are clearly important now, since they are the cause of the current situation ("I cannot enter my home"). However, in the first sentence, the word "yesterday" locates the action "lost the key" at a past moment, so the past simple is used. In the second sentence, no time is mentioned, and the use of the present perfect presents the action as relatively recent and connected to the present topic or situation.

It's not usual to use the present perfect with a defined past time moment, e.g.  I cannot enter my home because I have lost the key yesterday , and this may be considered a grammatical mistake.

I hope that helps!

Hello, Could you explain why present perfect is used when we use the time adverbial like for the past three days?

If you say  for the past three days , the meaning is "from three days ago until now". It is a time period that is unfinished at the moment of "now". We use the present perfect to talk about actions in this unfinished time period. 

You may be interested in our Present perfect page (linked) , which has a few more examples and exercises about this. I hope it helps.

Hello example This car has been sold ten times can I say life experience for things ?

Yes, that's fine.

Hello Peter can I use ever for things example Has this car ever been damaged?

Hello again.

Yes, you can use the present perfect to describe things which happen in an unfinished time period (a person's life when they are still alive, an object's history when the object still exists etc). Once the time period is finished (the person dies, for example, or the object no longer exists) you use a past form.

Hello, My friend said"I'm hungry" at 3:00 pm, should I ask him have you had lunch or did you have lunch?

Hello Khangvo2812,

Both are possible. I think 'Have you...' sounds better as you are talking about something with a present result. However, I'm a British English speaker and speakers of other dialects may prefer 'Did you...' In US English, for example, the past simple is common in this kind of context.

I have a question. Are these sentences have the same meaning? Is there any difference?

1. I have not been to Qatar. 2. I have never been to Qatar.

They have a similar meaning, but sentence 2 with "never" is more emphatic. "Never" means "not at any time".

Hello, Is it possible to ask a question about the previous lesson? Thank you.

Hi capelle,

Sure, feel free to post your questions here! We'll try our best to help.

Good Afternoon Sir. I have gone through the entire lesson on present perfect as well as the comments thereunder. Although the lesson is well-prepared with lots of practice exercises, still I have some doubts left in my mind. May I request you to please clear the following doubts:-

1. I have had a headache. Does it mean that "headache started at some unspecified time in the past & continues up to the present moment" i.e. I am still suffering from headache or "headache started at some unspecified time in the past & ended in the past itself" i.e. I am no longer suffering from headache or can it mean both.

2. In the comments section, someone asked "He has been a soldier" and he was told that it means "he was a soldier at some point in time but no longer now". Other person asked "He has been a software Engineer" and he was told it could mean both "He may be a software Engineer now or He may not be". How to interpret the meaning of " He has been a soldier or software engineer or businessman etc."

3. Normally, if a sentence in present perfect is followed by a prepositional phrase (for/since) then it means that the action continues up to the present moment such as He has been married for 30 years (still married) or I have known him for 10 years (still known to me). But It is mentioned in the comment section that "I have waited for 03 hours" means that the action of waiting is completed. How to interpret present perfect tenses with for/since.

Mohit Gupta

Hello Mohit,

It's difficult to respond to these questions without knowing the context for the utterances you're asking about. The context is important because it tells us something about the speaker's perspective and purpose. But I'll make some comments that perhaps are useful.

'I've had a headache' would normally have a time clause with 'since' or 'for' accompanying it. In these cases, I would understand it to mean that the speaker still has the headache at the time of speaking. Perhaps you come home and find your brother laying on the sofa. He's normally very active and so you ask him if he's OK and he says, 'I've had a headache for the past three hours and can't concentrate'.

Regarding 2, I'm afraid I don't have time to go and find the comments you've asked about, but I imagine it was due to the context mentioned in them, or perhaps the context we imagined when responding. In a job interview context, saying 'He has been a soldier/software engineer' could be used to refer to a person's specific past work experience, i.e. to say he has experience in that position, but it could also be used to refer to the job they still currently have. It depends.

Regarding 3, it's difficult for me to imagine a situation when someone would say this. People normally use a present perfect continuous form to talk about waiting that is still in progress, i.e. 'I've been waiting for three hours' is what we'd normally say if we're still waiting at the time of speaking.

I hope this helps.

All the best, Kirk LearnEnglish team

Hello, Could you check this sentence for me? I haven’t met you for a long time. How’s everything going?

Among native speakers, we'd use 'haven't seen' or some other verb instead of 'haven't met', but in international contexts, people use sentences like this all the time and they are fine.

Hello team! I have a question regarding "for and since" can I use them at the beginning of the sentence? For example: Since 2020(,) I have been a teacher. For three years(,)I have been a teacher.

And can be written with commas or without?

Hello AboodKh9,

It's fine to start sentences in this way, and it can be a good way to emphasise how long the action or state has been continuing. No comma is necessary.

Hello sir, Could you explain the difference between these sentences as i am unable to understand the exact difference in the meaning, He has been a soldier. He was a soldier.

He has been brave. He is brave. In the last two sentences ,the state of being brave is continuing till the present so what is the difference?

Hello priyansh030,

If I understand the speaker's intentions correctly, 1a means that the man was a soldier at some point in his life but is not now. It's similar to saying 'I've visited Bangladesh' when you are now in Lahore -- it's a statement about an experience you have had in the course of your lifetime. This sentence shows that this man's life experience includes being a soldier at some point in time. Perhaps another person has said that the man was never a soldier, but this speaker says this sentence to insist that he has experienced being a soldier.

1b simply says that he was a soldier at some point in the past. Like 1a, it shows he is no longer a soldier. Both 1a and 1b could be used to answer many questions, but without knowing more about the situation, it's hard for me to justify using one or the other.

1a and 1b are about a man's work in the past. 2a and 2b are different because they speak about a man's personal qualities. In most cases, we would say 2b because we generally use the present simple to refer to the qualities a person has. It's not explicitly said, but we often assume that these qualities were also true in the past and will be true in the future. Again, without knowing more about the situation, I can't say much more.

2a is much more specific. It could, for example, refer to a recent experience in which a person has behaved in a way that is very brave. It could be that this surprised the speaker, but in any case it refers to a more specific time, a time the context presumably makes clear.

It's quite difficult to explain the differences between verb forms without more context, but I hope this gives you some ideas.

Hello Sir, thanks a lot for the reply. I think i was confused between having a quality from a specific and unspecific point of time in 2a,2b as simple present talks about talks about having a quality from an indefinite point of time.(Past-present-future) Thanks a lot.

Is it grammatically correct "The children play all day long."

Hello User02,

Yes, it is. Well done!

Thank you very much and kindly tell me one more thing,Which is more accurate:"The children play all day long." Or "The children have been playing all day long."

Hello Vijdan Rizvi,

Both are possible but have different meanings.

  • 'The children have been playing all day long' tells us about their activity on a particular day.
  • 'The children play all day long' tells us about how they typically spend their time. It is a general statement about the children's habits, not about a specific day.

Hi, I have a problem. Please consider this

"I have been a software engineer" (I know this is a vague sentence)

if I introduce myself like the above without any complement like "for 10 years, all my life, etc", could it mean :

**for something that started in the PAST and CONTINUES in the present

**when we are talking about our EXPERIENCE up to the present

Or both is possible? Thanks

Hi LitteBlueGreat,

If you say the sentences without any time reference (without 'for' or 'since', for example) then it tells us about your life experience. You can imagine listing achievements in a CV: I have had several jobs. I have been a project manager, I have been a consultant and I have been a software engineer. Note that you may or may not still be any of these things; the sentence by itself does not make this clear.

If you include a time phrase such as 'for ten years' or 'since 2015' then it tells us about something that began in the past and continues into the present.

Hello everyone, I have a question.

According to 'We use present perfect when we are talking about our experience up to the present' and the example ‘I’ve seen that film before.’ If I say ‘I’ve seen that film when I was a child’ does this sentence still correct? The example (When we were children we have been to California.) in ‘We do not use the present perfect with adverbials which refer to a finished past time’ shows that we don’t use present perfect with past time adverbials. Does it correct If I say ‘We have been to California before’ instead of ‘When we were children we have been to California’ ? Why can’t we consider the sentence ‘When we were children we have been to California’ as an experience up to present?

Hi Kay0129,

No,  I’ve seen that film when I was a child isn't considered correct. "When I was a child" refers to a finished past time. Other examples of finished past time references are last year  and in 2018 , and these are not usually used with the present perfect.

But it is fine to say  We have been to California before , because "before" refers to a period of time lasting until the present moment (i.e., an unfinished past time). The sentence  When we were children we have been to California isn't an experience up to the present, because "when we were children" is a finished time in the past. It locates the action (going to California) in the past, so it doesn't go with the present perfect.

Does that make sense?

The sentence "I've seen that film when I was a child" is not grammatically correct because the adverbial phrase "when I was a child" refers to a specific finished past time. In this case, the past simple tense should be used instead of the present perfect tense. The correct sentence would be "I saw that film when I was a child."

The sentence "We have been to California before" is grammatically correct because the adverbial "before" is not a specific finished past time, but rather a general reference to a time that occurred before now. This is an acceptable usage of the present perfect tense.

The sentence "When we were children we have been to California" is not grammatically correct because it uses the present perfect tense with an adverbial phrase that refers to a specific finished past time. The sentence implies that the experience of going to California is ongoing, which is not the case. It would be more appropriate to say "When we were children, we went to California."

Hello everyone! According to present perfect, we use it for past actions with a result in present. So, I saw an example here says” Extremists have reached/ seized power in this country. You replied that past simple is more appropriate. But here, there is a result! Now they are running the country. I know that the verbs (reach and seize) occur at a particular moment, but here the focus is on the result that they maybe enact new laws and so on.

Thanks in advance.

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  • Present Perfect Tense in English

Affirmative Sentences

  • I have finished the report.

This is a sentence in the present perfect tense . We know it is in the present perfect tense because it has the auxiliary verb HAVE (or HAS ) followed by a PAST PARTICIPLE .

Look at the structure for affirmative sentences in the present perfect tense. The word order is: subject   + have / has + past participle

Past Participles

The past participle can be regular or irregular. Let’s look at the present perfect tense with regular past participles.

Regular past participles end in ED. Some example sentences:

  • We have opened all of the windows.
  • She has lived in Germany for ten years.
  • He has called his mother twice today.

Notice how the past participle of these regular verbs is the same as the past simple tense form. But some past participles are IRREGULAR. For example:

  • I have been very busy this week. ( Been is the past participle of TO BE)
  • We have done our homework. ( Done is the past participle of TO DO)
  • She has spoken to a large audience many times. ( Spoken is the past participle of TO SPEAK)
  • Rob Woodward has taught English since 1997. ( Taught is the past participle of TO TEACH)

Notice how the past participle of these irregular verbs is different from their past tense form. I recommend our lesson about 101 Irregular Past Participles with example sentences in English .

Present Perfect Tense in English - Affirmative Sentences - Learn English

Present Perfect Tense Contractions – Affirmative Sentences

In spoken English, we almost always use contractions with the present perfect tense. We contract the subject and the auxiliary have / has .

For example: I have

We contract the subject I with the auxiliary HAVE which becomes I’VE … and then you can add the past participle.

Here is the list of present perfect tense 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

Let’s look at some example sentences. Can you change these present perfect sentences to contain a contraction?

  • We have done our homework.
  • She has lived in Italy for six years.
  • John has been here before.

Here are the answers:

  • I have finished the report. ➡️ I’ ve finished the report.
  • We have done our homework. ➡️ We ’ve done our homework.
  • She has lived in Italy for six years. ➡️ She ’s lived in Italy for six years.
  • John has been here before. ➡️ John ’s been here before.

English Present Perfect Tense Contractions - Learn English Grammar

Now, let’s look at how to make negative sentences in the present perfect tense.

Present Perfect Tense – Negative sentences

Look at this affirmative sentence:

There is the auxiliary HAVE and the past participle FINISHED . How can we make this negative?

To create a negative sentence in the present perfect tense, we just add NOT between the auxiliary HAVE or HAS and the past participle .

  • I have finished the report. (This is an affirmative sentence)
  • I have not finished the report. (This is a negative sentence)

However, it is much more common to use a contraction in negative sentences. You will normally hear:

  • I haven’t finished the report.
  • She has seen the movie.

How can we make this negative?

  • She has seen the movie. (This is an affirmative sentence)
  • She has not seen the movie (This is a negative sentence)
  • She hasn’t seen the movie.

Let’s look at some more examples of negative sentences in the present perfect tense:

  • I haven’t cleaned the kitchen today.
  • We haven’t finished our meal yet.
  • It hasn’t rained this week.
  • He hasn’t seen the movie.

Here is the summary chart to make negatives sentences in the present perfect tense. We have the subject + negative auxiliary (haven’t/hasn’t) + past participle

Present Perfect Tense - Negative Sentences - Learn English Grammar

Present Perfect Tense – Questions

  • They have studied for the test.

It has the subject THEY, the auxiliary HAVE and the past participle STUDIED.

How can we change this into a question?

To make a question in the present perfect tense, we change the order of the subject with HAVE / HAS .

  • They have studied for the test. … becomes …
  • Have they studied for the test?
  • She has arrived early.

How can we make this a question? We change the order of the subject and the auxiliary . The question becomes…

  • Has she arrived early?

Let’s look at some more examples of present perfect questions:

  • Have you taken your medicine today?
  • Have we finished for the day?
  • Has the game started ?
  • Has she read the report? (Remember READ is the past participle of READ – yes, they have the same spelling but the pronunciation is different)

Present Perfect Tense Questions - Learn English Grammar

Present Perfect Tense – Short Answers

We can also give short answers to present perfect tense questions. Look at these questions:

  • Have you done your homework?
  • Has he told the truth?
  • Has Mary called today?

Obviously, you can reply with just YES or NO, but in reality, we almost always give a short answer. Present perfect short answers use HAVE or HAVEN’T in them.

Let’s look at the first question:

Since this question is HAVE YOU…?

The short answers would be: Yes, I have. … or … No I haven’t.

  • Have you done your homework? Yes, I have. … or … No, I haven’t .

What would the short answers be for the next two questions?

You could say:

  • Has he told the truth? Yes, he has. … or … No, he hasn’t .
  • Has Mary called today? Yes, she has. … or … No, she hasn’t .

Present Perfect Tense with Questions Words

We can also use question words (what, where, why, etc.) at the beginning of the question. For example:

  • What have you done?
  • Where has he gone?
  • Why have they stopped?
  • How has she felt today?

Present Perfect Tense Summary Chart

Present Perfect Tense in English - Sentences and Questions - Learn English Grammar

In the next lesson we are going to look at WHEN to use the present perfect tense in English .

I hope you found this lesson about the present perfect tense useful. If you did, please let other people know about it.

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How To Teach The Present Perfect | Step By Step

The present perfect form can be particularly challenging for teachers to teach and students to learn. This is because in many other languages, the present perfect tense functions differently than it does in English. The main goal when teaching the present perfect tense to English language learners is to get them to understand its two main usages. Follow this easy step-by-step guide on how to teach the present perfect tense and your students will be using it confidently in no time.

How To Teach The Present Perfect Tense

Step 1: the two main uses.

To begin the lesson, explain to students that there are two main uses of the present perfect tense; to talk about finished past actions , and to talk about an action that started in the past and continued to the present . Write these two uses as headings on the board and draw a simple timeline below each heading. Students will likely not quite understand what you mean at this point, so it’s time to give them lots of examples to help them grasp these uses of the present perfect tense.

Step 2: Finished Past Actions

A great way to demonstrate this first usage of the present perfect tense is to talk about your past experiences. For example, you can tell students “ I have visited many countries. “, “ I have been to South Korea and Japan. “, “ I have climbed Mt. Fuji. “, etc. Write these examples on the board.

Next, elicit from students the fact that these actions/events took place in the past and finished in the past. For example, you can ask students “ Am I in Japan now? “, “ Am I still climbing Mt. Fuji? “, etc.

Step 3: Actions That Started In The Past And Continue To The Present

Once students have grasped the first usage, it’s time to teach them the second usage of the present perfect tense. To do this, you can elicit many examples from students. For example, you can ask students how long they have lived in the current country/city you are in (“ I have lived in England for 5 years “), how long they have studied English (“I have studied English for three years. “), how long they have known their best friend (“ I have known Kelly for 7 years “), etc. Write all these examples on the board so you can refer to them later.

Step 4: Present Perfect Tense Structure

Present Perfect Tense Structure

Next, show students the present perfect structure. The present perfect structure is as follows:

subject + have/has + past participle

You may need to explain what ‘subject’ and ‘past participle’ refer to. A great way to do this is to use the examples on the board from steps 2 and 3 and have students identify the subject and past participle in each sentence. Once students understand the present perfect tense structure, swap out the subjects and verbs in each sentence to make new sentences.

Step 5: Ask And Answer Using The Present Perfect

Now students understand the main uses and the structure of the present perfect tense, teach students how to ask and answer questions in the present perfect tense. For example,

T: “ Have you been to France? “ S: “ Yes, I have.” / “No, I haven’t. “ T: “ What other countries have you been to? “ S: “ I have been to Spain, Germany, Thailand, and Vietnam. “ T: “ How long have you studied English? “ S: “ I have studied English for 3 years. “ T: “ How long have you lived in this town? “ S: “ I have lived here for 2 months. “

Once students understand, have them practice asking and answering present perfect questions with their partner. After 10 minutes, stop the class and ask some students to tell you what their partner said. This way, students can practice changing the subject in the sentence (i.e. “ He/She has studied English for 3 years. “).

Step 6: Review With A Quiz

Finally, it’s time to review what students have learned with a fun quiz. You can use the above quiz video or you can find many free present perfect exercise worksheets here .

Related Resources

Thanks for reading. I hope you found this guide on how to teach the present perfect tense useful. Before you go, be sure to check out these related resources: Present Perfect Games How To Teach The Present Perfect Continuous English Grammar Exercises How To Teach The Present Simple

THE BASIC USE OF THE PRESENT PERFECT

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THE USE OF THE PRESENT PERFECT

Watch the video and understand the sentences

WHAT'S THE FORM OF THE PRESENT PERFECT ?

PAST PARTICIPLE

GONE BEEN STUDIED PLAYED TRAVELLED

HAVE HAVE HAS HAVE HAVE HAVE

THE POSITIVE FORM OF THE PRESENT PERFECT

I YOU HE/SHE/IT WE YOU THEY

GONE BEEN STUDIED PLAYED TRAVELLED EATEN

HAVE/HAS NOT

HAVEN'T HAVEN'T HASN'T HAVEN'T HAVEN'T HAVEN'T

THE NEGATIVE FORM OF THE PRESENT PERFECT

GONE BEEN STUDIED ????? PLAYED TRAVELLED

THE INTERROGATIVE FORM OF THE PRESENT PERFECT

Yes, he has No, he hasn't

Yes, she has No, she hasn't

Yes, you have No, you haven't

Yes, they have No, they haven't

Yes, we have No, we haven't

Yes, I have No, I haven't

ANSWERING WITH SHORT ANSWERS

  • TO DESCRIBE AN EXPERIENCE
  • TO DESCRIBE A CHANGE DURING A PERIOD OF TIME
  • TO DESCRIBE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
  • TO DESCRIBE A CONTNUING ACTION THAT STARTED IN THE PAST

WHAT'S THE USE OF THE PRESENT PERFECT ?

  • Your English has improved a lot
  • She has had an accident
  • Man has walked on the moon
  • I have run a marathon. I’m really tired!
  • I have lost my keys. I can’t get into my house

SOME EXAMPLES

Click here on the link and complete the sentences. At the end check your answers!

AND NOW SOME EXERCISES

Simona Scapini

Present Perfect

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present perfect for presentations

IMAGES

  1. Present Perfect Tense: Definition, Useful Examples and Exercise

    present perfect for presentations

  2. Present Perfect Tense: Definition, Rules and Useful Examples • 7ESL

    present perfect for presentations

  3. Present Perfect Tense

    present perfect for presentations

  4. Present Perfect Tense: Definition, Examples, & Rules» Onlymyenglish.com

    present perfect for presentations

  5. Present perfect tense

    present perfect for presentations

  6. Present Perfect Tense (Examples, Exercise and Usage)

    present perfect for presentations

VIDEO

  1. learn the use of present perfect continuous

  2. The present perfect ppt

  3. Learn Present Perfect Continues from our basic course

  4. Present Perfect Tense

  5. Present perfect vs Present perfect continuous in 16 minutes. Learn English grammar online

  6. How to use present perfect?

COMMENTS

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  2. 86 Present perfect tenses English ESL powerpoints

    This ppt presentation compares the use of Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect Continuous. A powerpoint, which can be used if no computer facilities, outlining 'Have you ever...', form, examples, reading text and extensions. With these exercises your students will practice the PRESENT PERFECT.

  3. Present Perfect Tense

    It's typically used to indicate experience up to the present, recent actions, or a change that occurred over a period of time. The present perfect is formed using the auxiliary verb "have" and the past participle of the main verb (e.g., "I have eaten"). However, the third person singular (e.g., "he," "she," and "it") uses ...

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  5. PDF How to form the Present Perfect

    Present Perfect with for/since. The present perfect is also used with for and since to talk about actions that began in the past and continue to the present. • "I've lived here since 2004.". • "I've lived here for 8 years.". Since is used with a point in time, and means "from that point in time until the present.".

  6. Present perfect

    The present perfect is formed from the present tense of the verb have and the past participle of a verb. We use the present perfect: for something that started in the past and continues in the present: They've been married for nearly fifty years. She has lived in Liverpool all her life. when we are talking about our experience up to the present:

  7. The Present Perfect Tense

    To make the positive present perfect tense, use: 'have' / 'has' + the past participle. Make the past participle by adding 'ed' to regular verbs (for example, 'play' becomes 'played') There are a few verbs that change their spelling when you add 'ed' (for example, 'study' becomes 'studied') We also have some completely irregular verbs.

  8. The Present Perfect Tense Presentation [POWERPOINT]

    This presentation provides form and common uses of the Present Perfect Tense. The examples have been carefully chosen and presented in an enjoyable and memorable way. At the end there is a form practice - a dialogue where the verbs in the brackets should be put into the Present Perfect Tense. It is suitable for pre-intermediate students.

  9. Present Perfect Tense in English

    For example: I have. We contract the subject I with the auxiliary HAVE which becomes I'VE … and then you can add the past participle. Here is the list of present perfect tense 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.

  10. How To Teach The Present Perfect

    Table of Contents. How To Teach The Present Perfect Tense. Step 1: The Two Main Uses. Step 2: Finished Past Actions. Step 3: Actions That Started In The Past And Continue To The Present. Step 4: Present Perfect Tense Structure. Step 5: Ask And Answer Using The Present Perfect. Step 6: Review With A Quiz. Related Resources.

  11. THE BASIC USE OF THE PRESENT PERFECT

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  12. present perfect simple presentation: English ESL powerpoints

    present perfect simple presentation. angkosm. 58488. 707. 228. 0. 1/10. This is a powerpoint presentation explaining the various uses of present perfect simple in an iconic way. The use of the main time expressions is also covered.….

  13. Present Perfect Simple PowerPoint Presentation (since, for)

    A worksheet that provides practice of Present Perfect use with since and for. The presentation is thematic, devoted to London landmarks. Each slide is made up of one set of words, a picture and two time indicators. The task is to make a correct sentence using Present Perfect Simple. Download the worksheet. (4.51 Mb, 4894 downloads)

  14. Present Perfect

    Did you know there are two common uses of the present perfect tense in English? Learn how and when to use this tricky verb tense. We will also teach you the ...

  15. Present Perfect Tense PowerPoint for Kids

    Teach your students all about the present perfect tense by presenting our Present Perfect Tense PowerPoint to your class. This is a great resource to use with your entire class and will help students to deepen their understanding of the present perfect tense by learning what it is, how to use it, and more!Our Present Perfect Tense PowerPoint can be used as soon as you've hit the download ...

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  17. Present Perfect Tense PowerPoint Slides

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  18. 222 Present perfect simple English ESL powerpoints

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  19. Present Perfect by Irma C. Paz on Prezi

    We use the present perfect tense to say that an action happened at an unspecified time before now. The exact time is not important. What is a past participle? With a regular verb, the past participle ends with -ED (just like the simple past). collected arrived enjoyed watched ... AI generated presentations: simplifying the creation process; Feb ...

  20. The Home Depot to Present at the 10th Annual J.P. Morgan Retail Round

    ATLANTA, March 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Home Depot ®, the world's largest home improvement retailer, today announced that Richard McPhail, executive vice president and chief financial officer, will present at the 10 th Annual J.P Morgan Retail Round-Up Conference. The presentation will begin at 9:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, April 4, 2024.

  21. Goucher Students & Faculty Present Psychology Research at the EPA

    A contingent of Psychology Department students and faculty attended the Eastern Psychological Association (EPA) conference in Philadelphia from February 29th to March 2nd. There were five Goucher-affiliated research posters presented at the conference and one faculty presentation.

  22. 323 Present perfect tense English ESL powerpoints

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  24. 12 Present perfect tense: FOR or SINCE English ES…

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