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Present Perfect
Examples
- I have read this book.
- The man has gone away.
- John has worked as a teacher for over 25 years.
The Present Perfect is used to express actions that happened at an indefinite time or that began in the past and continue in the present. This tense is also used when an activity has an effect on the present moment.
Use
- Actions which happened at an indefinite (unknown) time before now
- Actions in the past which have an effect on the present moment
- Actions which began in the past and continue in the present
USE 1: Indefinite time before now
Use the Present Perfect to talk about actions that happened at some point in the past. It does not matter when exactly they happened.
Examples:- I have already had a breakfast.
- He has been to England.
Remember
You should not use this tense with time expressions like
I have seen it yesterday.-
We have gone to Paris last year
USE 2: Effect on the present moment
We also use this tense to when an activity has an effect on the present moment.
Examples:- He has finished his work. (so he can now rest)
- I have already eaten the dinner. (so I'm not hungry)
- He has had a car accident. (that's why he is in the hospital)
To understand this use better, watch this interactive animation:
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Explanation
In this cartoon, you can see a mother asking her son: "Markus, what's happened". Marcus replies: "I have been struck by a bolt of lightning".
- Why is the Present Perfect tense used in this example? Click on the button labled as "event 1". You can see that Marcus was struck lightning bolt. Now click on the other button. The use of Present Continuous is correct here because the action has an effect on the present moment (it explains why he looks this way).
USE 3: Continuation in the present
We often use the Present Perfect when we want to emphasize that an event continues in the present.
Examples:- Mary has worked as a teacher for over 25 years.
- Patrick has achieved a lot in his life.
To understand this use better, click on the buttons and read the message:
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For and Since
We use
- I have lived here for 20 years.
When talking about a starting point, we use
- I have lived here since 1960.
Form
To form a sentence in the Present Perfect, you need:
- The proper conjugation of the auxiliary verb "to have".
- The Past Participle of your verb.
1. Auxiliary Verb "to have"
We conjugate the auxiliary verb "to have" the same way we would conjugate the normal verb "to have".
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| First | I have | We have |
| Second | You have | You have |
| Third | He/she/it has | They have |
As you can see, the third person singular is irregular.
More examples:
- She has never seen my brother.
- Neither Mike nor Tom has ever driven a truck.
2. The Past Participle
The past participle of a verb is a verb form that appears with the perfect tenses. The past participle can be either regular or irregular.
- The regular verbs are formed by adding -ed to the verb:
Verb Past Participle talk talked explain explained use used deliver delivered include included achieve achieved
- The formation of the irregular verbs does not follow one rule. Therefore, they should be memorized.
Verb Past Participle Learn more be been be become become become see seen see go gone go eat eaten eat grow grown grow
Declarative Sentences
| Subject | + | Auxiliary verb | + | Past participle |
| e.g. I/a dog etc. | has/have | e.g. slept/taken/gone etc. |
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| Examples | Use | |
 |
We have already had breakfast | (Use 1) |
|
I have bought new shades | (Use 2) |
|
I have already been to Paris | (Use 1) |
|
John has been a plumber for 2 years | (Use 3) |
|
Someone has just taken my bag! | (Use 1,2) |
|
Jane has never been so angry | (Use 3) |
|
He has been our most serious partner for so long that I can assure you he's a very decent man | (Use 3) |
Questions
| Auxiliary verb | + | Subject | + | Past participle |
| has/have | e.g. I/a dog etc. | e.g. slept/taken/gone etc. |
| Examples | Use | |
|
Have you ever seen this program? | (Use 1) |
|
Where has she lived for the past 21 years? | (Use 3) |
|
Have you found the telephone number? | (Use 1,2) |
|
Have you ever been to France? |
(Use 1) |
|
Has anyone taken my bag? | (Use 1,2) |
Trivia
In sentences with adverbials such as ever, already or yet, American-English speakers may use the Past Simple rather than the Present Perfect. So, an American would say:
- Did you go to the post office yet? (Past Simple)
rather than:
- Have you gone to the post office yet? (Present Perfect)
Negative Sentences
| Subject | + | Auxiliary verb + not | + | Past participle |
| e.g. I/a dog etc. | has not/have not | e.g. slept/taken/gone etc. |
| Examples | Use | |
|
He hasn't taken any drug for two years | (Use 3) |
|
I haven't met my perfect partner yet | (Use 3) |
|
They haven't contacted you, have they? | (Use 1) |