Present Perfect
Past actions with a link to now: “She has finished.”
Practice Present Perfect freeThe lesson
When do we use it?
- Past actions with a result now: I have lost my keys. (I can't find them now.)
- Life experiences: She has visited Japan twice.
- Situations that started in the past and continue now: They have lived here for ten years.
- Recent news: The bus has just arrived.
How do we form it?
have / has + past participle
| Subject | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I / you / we / they | I have eaten | I haven't eaten | Have you eaten? |
| he / she / it | She has eaten | She hasn't eaten | Has she eaten? |
Past participles
- Regular verbs: same as the simple past → worked, played
- Irregular verbs: learn them → go → gone, see → seen, write → written
For and since
- for + length of time: for two years, for a week
- since + starting point: since 2020, since Monday
Time words
just, already, yet, ever, never, recently, so far, for, since
Do not use it with finished times like yesterday or last week; use the simple past.
Common Present Perfect mistakes
She have finished her work.
She has finished her work.
Use has with he / she / it, plus the past participle.
I have saw that film.
I have seen that film.
Use the past participle (seen), not the simple past (saw).
I have seen him yesterday.
I saw him yesterday.
With a finished time like yesterday, use the simple past.
He has lived here since five years.
He has lived here for five years.
Use for with a length of time.
I have lived here for 2020.
I have lived here since 2020.
Use since with a starting point.
Practice questions like these
Pick the right form. In the app you get instant checking, hints and your score.
1.He his phone, so he can't call you.
- loses
- have lost
- has lost
- is losing
2.Yesterday I my old teacher at the market.
- have met
- meet
- met
- had met
3.We in this city for ten years.
- have lived
- are living
- live
- has lived