present perfect 9

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

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Yes, that's fine.

The LearnEnglish Team

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".

LearnEnglish team

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.

Hello khaled,

In his comment, Peter was talking about a situation when the extremists had seized power 30 years earlier. It would be very odd to use the present perfect in a situation like this.

If, on the other hand, the extremists just seized power last and someone were reporting this in the news, the present perfect would be appropriate. We often use the present perfect to report the news because it suggests a change that is affecting the present.

It's a matter of how we conceive of the connection between past actions and the present. One could argue that everything that has ever happened is connected to the present (and I'd agree with this idea!), but language use is not so precise and doesn't consider all of history. We use it in a particular moment for a particular purpose, not to provide a scientific account.

Hope this makes sense.

Thank you so much for your response. I just want to ask about short and long action verbs when we use them in present perfect simple.

For example;

I have opened the door since 2:00 pm. Up to now. I have opened the door since 2:00 pm. Result in present (it’s still open)

the verb open is a short verb, so, can I use this verb or other short verbs (to be precise, the verbs that occur at a particular moment) to mean that this action happened and still continues? Or we consider it as an action that happened in the past with result in present?

And I think that the negative form of these actions is acceptable when we use them to mean that the action hasn’t happened until now.

For example:

I haven’t started my trip since Sunday. Up to now

But in positive, I feel it’s not acceptable… I have started my trip since Sunday. Up to now

So I am confused about this kind of verbs. Do I consider them verbs that continue up to now OR finished verbs with result in present?

I'm afraid I don't know what to say. None of the example sentences you give sound correct to me. 

Perhaps you could say 'I have been opening the door since 2.00' in a very particular situation -- for example, if you're a doorman and open and close the door for guests at a hotel; or if it's a door that for some reason takes 12 hours to open -- but in general opening a door is an action that you perform in a moment and it's done. How can you be doing it since 2.00? 

I know but the point that I want is: For example: when I say that “I have opened the door” I mean that the door is open now, so, the guests can enter the hall. (it’s a past action with a result in present)

Another example: “I have started a new training course” I mean that I will not be free to go with my friends or do things I used to do before this course.(it’s a past action with a result in present)

Thank you for your patience and your help to improve learners of English language.

Hello khaledAl5,

Yes, that's right. That's how I would understand those sentences in those contexts. Of course, other interpretations are possible depending on the context: the first sentence could mean that you've opened the door so your friend does not need to do it, or that you have opened the door so you no longer need the key etc. All of these, as you say, express present results of past actions.

Present results like this represent changes in the world which are news to the listener; what that information means exactly to the listener is the context-dependent part

Hi there. You could say "I opened the door at 2 pm" - it was a single action that has finished (past simple). But you might have shut the door again - we don't know. The notes remind us that we don't use the present perfect simple after a time adverbial - for example, yesterday. 2 pm is in the past in the same way that yesterday is in the past.

You could also say "The door has been open since 2 pm." This uses the present perfect because it was an action that happened in the past (the door was opened/you opened it) but the effect of the action is still true - the door is still open now. This uses the passive so that the focus is on the door and not who opened it.

On the trip sentences, I would say "I didn't start my trip on Sunday and I still haven't started it (until now)." Perhaps it is the word 'since' that is confusing? We usually use present perfect continuous after since because it describes an ongoing action that started in the past and is still continuing.

I don't know whether these thoughts will help you. I hope so :) Good luck with your English studies.

"Could I borrow that book some time? It looks really interesting. Sure, you can borrow it now, I have finished it."

=> Has he finished reading the book yet? Can we say "I fishined it" ?

Hello TommyHoang,

It's possible to say both 'I finished it' and 'I've finished it', but they can mean slightly different things depending on the situation. The main point is when you finished reading the book. If it was some time ago, then 'I finished it' would be more natural. 

But if you've been reading it recently and recently finished it, 'I've finished it' would probably be better.

Best wishes, Kirk LearnEnglish team

Hello Could you please explain this? I was in an office so i couldn’t see outside. then i left the building and i saw wet pavement. Can i say ‘has it rained?’ Or ‘Did it rain?’ I’m little confused. Thank you!

Hi englishlearningenglish,

Good question. The present perfect ("Has it rained?") would be more commonly used in British English, and the past simple ("Did it rain?") would be more common in American English, but both would be acceptable in both language varieties :)

Hello, I’m looking for a hep with these please:

Example: Yesterday someone asked for my number and this morning I’ve spoken to friend and said; „She has asked for my number, she needs to contact me first.” Or should I just say: „ She asked for my number, she needs to contact me first.” And if the present perfect tense is correct, could you please explain me what’s the connection with the present etc..

Example 2: Let’s say it’s still morning and I’ve just got to a place I was driving to and the security at the property says: „You don’t have any wheels?” I say: „No, I haven’t taken any.” Or should I again just say: „No, I didn’t take any.” And if the present perfect tense is correct, how does that affect the present or what’s the connection here. Sorry I’m just confused with these because I know that even some British people use any of these interchangeably and it just confuses me. I really want to understand the difference.

And if I may one more..

She says: „ I think our managers may by trying to set us up.” I say: „Yes, I’ve heard something.” Or should I just say: „Yes, I heard something.” And again.. why?

I’m sorry, I know these might be similar examples but I’m just not sure when to use these and it’s just embarrassing for me.. because even when I watch videos online, at the end of it some people say: „ I hope you have enjoyed this video ( I believe that’s because the event just finished - but even now shouldn’t I say I believe that’s because the event has just finished?) and others would say: „ I hope you enjoyed this video.” But why? Also I’m so sorry but very last one:

I broke my hand in the past and went to a doctor. While the hand was healing I accidentally fell off and after a month spoke to a doctor again and wanted to say that I think I actually made it worse. But what should I have said at the doctor? „I think I have made it worse.” Or just „I think I made it worse.”

Sorry again for long message but your answer would make it just much more clearer to me.

Thank you for your time and any response you can give me.

Hi Andreas,

I'll try to explain. In short, I think all of these answers are acceptable, the present perfect ones and the past simple ones too (with the possible exception of example 2 - see below).

The present perfect indicates a connection to the present, as you say. That's why it's often used when somebody introduces a new topic into the conversation. It shows that the new topic that the speaker is introducing has relevance to the current or existing topic. So, if you say  She has asked for my number , it might be because you and the listener were talking about her just before (i.e. the current topic is "her"), and then you introduce this new topic (her asking for your number). The present perfect shows that this new topic is relevant to the current one. If you say  I think I have made it worse , it might be because the current topic of conversation is your injury, and you are introducing a new topic (how you made the injury worse) and want to show the listener that it's relevant to the current topic.

The past simple locates the action in the past, outside the present timeframe. So, you might use this when you want to shift the focus away from the present and more onto the past action. For example, you might say  She asked for my number when I saw her yesterday.  Here, the sentence gives more detail about that past action. Or you might say  I think I made it worse by .... and then explain more details about what you did, using more past simple verbs. These extra past details are not essential, however. Somebody might simply say I think I made it worse  because although that's a past action in a past timeframe, the relevance to the present topic of "your injury" is fairly obvious (considering the context of the conversation and the fact that "it" must refer to something else that was just mentioned). Unlike the present perfect, though, the past simple does not grammatically show the relevance.

Another thing to be aware of is that many speakers use the past simple form with the 'relevance to the present' meaning that is typically associated with the present perfect. This is especially common in American English but it is also found in British English and other language varieties.

In summary, then, this isn't a situation where one form is correct and the other is incorrect. There isn't a simple answer here because whether you choose the present perfect or past simple depends on several things: the relationship with the conversation topic, what else is said before and afterwards, and which variety of English you are using. But you can rest assured that whether using present perfect or past simple, the intended meaning in all the examples above is clear.

(The one exception might be example 2, where your answer is a direct response to the security guard's question, so I would perhaps prefer to use present perfect to connect my answer more clearly to the present timeframe used in the question.)

Sorry for the long answer but I hope that somehow helps.

Hi Jonathan,

thank you very much for your answer. It has helped me. (I hope the present perfect tense is the right to choose here). So it means, that if it’s not completely out of context, then it’s up to the speaker if decides (in his mind before bringing new topic) whether the „new topic” is relevant to the current one, could we put it this way?

For example (if I may again please) I’m speaking with my landlord about heating that might have broken down and it’s not warm enough. He starts to show me degrees on the heating and talk about it.

In my head I’m thinking that I would like to let him know, that once we had the heating on all day. What should I use here? Can I say: „Once, we’ve had the heating on all day.” Or just again past simple: „Once we had the heating on all day.”

Is it okay if I leave one more example here please…

And then… if I’m driving at 6am to a place where I meet some people. Then driving back and around 8am I speak with my manager and she asks me who was there when I got there, what is here the correct answer to say considering that the people (and me and my manager know that) are still there at the time she asks me?

Sorry about that, I know you have already explained it to me but the more examples I understand the clearer everything will be for me.

Thank you again for any response to this

Have a great day

No problem. Yes, exactly - the relevance is something that is perceived by the speaker. The speaker may show this relevance to the listener in a grammatical way, by using the present perfect. But as mentioned in the previous comment, there are other ways to show relevance too (e.g. by using reference words, or simply by saying something in close proximity to something else).

In the heating situation, I think the present perfect is acceptable but I would prefer the past simple version here, because it includes the word "once", which locates the action in a past timeframe.

I'm not sure if I understood the second situation correctly, but I would use the past simple (e.g.  James and Lisa were there ), as she asked who was there when you got there (i.e. a past time). Even if the people are still in that place now, it doesn't affect the structure because the manager is asking about that particular past moment.

I hope that helps.

thank you again. I just got confused with one sentence I just saw.

„All dogs we’ve had were like friends to me.”

Is possible to say it this way? What I feel from it is that all dogs they have had (so far) were like a friend to him but they don’t live anymore so he doesn’t have any dog at the moment but might have in the future that’s why „we have had.”

Thank you for your time

Hello endy23,

You're quite right. The present perfect ('have had') is used here because the speaker is still alive and may in the future have more dogs. In effect the present perfect here contains the meaning 'so far' or 'up to now'.

Sir, Is there a difference in that two sentences. I have a sister. I have got a sister. Do they mean the same? Could you explain me Sir, please. Thanks in advance.

Yes, they mean the same thing. But "have got" is a bit more commonly used in British English than in American English.

Thank you Sir.

Hello, I have been thinking about this sentence for a long time. "Every time I visit him he has been playing with his toys" The grammar book says that each action of playing toys is before each action of visiting him. So, first the boy would play with his toys then I would visit him while he either has stopped playing or is still playing. From what I understand of the present perfect continuous it is used when an action from the past continues to the present. In this sentence is it not continuing to each time of visiting him instead of the present so shouldn't the past perfect be used?

• Verb Tense Intro.
• Types of Verbs
• Active/Passive
• Simple Present
• Present Continuous
• Simple Past
• Past Continuous

Present Perfect

• Present Perf. Cont.
• Past Perfect
• Past Perfect Cont.
• Simple Future
• Future Continuous
• Future Perfect
• Future Perfect Cont.
• Would Always
• Future in the Past

The present perfect is a verb tense which is used to show that an action has taken place once or many times before now. The present perfect is most frequently used to talk about experiences or changes that have taken place, but there are other less common uses as well. Read on for detailed descriptions, examples, and present perfect exercises.

Present Perfect Forms

The present perfect is formed using has/have + past participle . Questions are indicated by inverting the subject and has/have . Negatives are made with not .

• Statement: You have seen that movie many times.
• Question: Have you seen that movie many times?
• Negative: You have not seen that movie many times.

Complete List of Present Perfect Forms

Present Perfect Uses

Use 1 unspecified time before now.

We use the present perfect to say that an action happened at an unspecified time before now. The exact time is not important. You CANNOT use the present perfect with specific time expressions such as yesterday , one year ago , last week , when I was a child , when I lived in Japan , at that moment , that day , one day , etc. We CAN use the present perfect with unspecific expressions such as ever , never , once , many times , several times , before , so far , already , yet , etc.

• I have seen that movie twenty times.
• I think I have met him once before.
• There have been many earthquakes in California.
• People have traveled to the Moon.
• People have not traveled to Mars.
• Have you read the book yet?
• Nobody has ever climbed that mountain.
• A: Has there ever been a war in the United States? B: Yes, there has been a war in the United States.

How Do You Actually Use the Present Perfect?

The concept of "unspecified time" can be very confusing to English learners. It is best to associate present perfect with the following topics:

TOPIC 1 Experience

You can use the present perfect to describe your experience. It is like saying, "I have the experience of...." You can also use this tense to say that you have never had a certain experience. The present perfect is NOT used to describe a specific event.

• I have been to France. This sentence means that you have had the experience of being in France. Maybe you have been there once, or several times.
• I have been to France three times. You can add the number of times at the end of the sentence.
• I have never been to France. This sentence means that you have not had the experience of going to France.
• I think I have seen that movie before.
• He has never traveled by train.
• Joan has studied two foreign languages.
• A: Have you ever met him? B: No, I have not met him.

TOPIC 2 Change Over Time

We often use the present perfect to talk about change that has happened over a period of time.

• You have grown since the last time I saw you.
• The government has become more interested in arts education.
• Japanese has become one of the most popular courses at the university since the Asian studies program was established.
• My English has really improved since I moved to Australia.

TOPIC 3 Accomplishments

We often use the present perfect to list the accomplishments of individuals and humanity. You cannot mention a specific time.

• Man has walked on the Moon.
• Our son has learned how to read.
• Doctors have cured many deadly diseases.
• Scientists have split the atom.

TOPIC 4 An Uncompleted Action You Are Expecting

We often use the present perfect to say that an action which we expected has not happened. Using the present perfect suggests that we are still waiting for the action to happen.

• James has not finished his homework yet.
• Susan hasn't mastered Japanese, but she can communicate.
• Bill has still not arrived .
• The rain hasn't stopped .

TOPIC 5 Multiple Actions at Different Times

We also use the present perfect to talk about several different actions which have occurred in the past at different times. Present perfect suggests the process is not complete and more actions are possible.

• The army has attacked that city five times.
• I have had four quizzes and five tests so far this semester.
• We have had many major problems while working on this project.
• She has talked to several specialists about her problem, but nobody knows why she is sick.

Time Expressions with Present Perfect

When we use the present perfect it means that something has happened at some point in our lives before now. Remember, the exact time the action happened is not important.

Sometimes, we want to limit the time we are looking in for an experience. We can do this with expressions such as in the last week , in the last year , this week , this month , so far , up to now , etc.

• Have you been to Mexico in the last year ?
• I have seen that movie six times in the last month .
• They have had three tests in the last week .
• She graduated from university less than three years ago. She has worked for three different companies so far .
• My car has broken down three times this week .

Last year and in the last year are very different in meaning. Last year means the year before now, and it is considered a specific time which requires simple past . In the last year means from 365 days ago until now. It is not considered a specific time, so it requires present perfect.

• I went to Mexico last year . I went to Mexico in the calendar year before this one.
• I have been to Mexico in the last year . I have been to Mexico at least once at some point between 365 days ago and now.

USE 2 Duration From the Past Until Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)

With non-continuous verbs and non-continuous uses of mixed verbs , we use the present perfect to show that something started in the past and has continued up until now. For five minutes , for two weeks , and since Tuesday are all durations which can be used with the present perfect.

• I have had a cold for two weeks.
• She has been in England for six months.
• Mary has loved chocolate since she was a little girl.

Although the above use of present perfect is normally limited to non-continuous verbs and non-continuous uses of mixed verbs, the words live , work , teach , and study are sometimes used in this way even though they are NOT non-continuous verbs.

ADVERB PLACEMENT

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as always , only , never , ever , still , just , etc.

• You have only seen that movie one time.
• Have you only seen that movie one time?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE

• Many tourists have visited that castle. Active
• That castle has been visited by many tourists. Passive

More About Active / Passive Forms

Present Perfect Exercises

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Present Perfect Tense

What is the present perfect tense.

• John has taken Sarah's advice.
• They have fixed the fence.

Table of Contents

More Examples of the Present Perfect Tense

Video Lesson

Comparing the Present Perfect Tense and the Simple Past Tense

Forming the present perfect tense.

Interactive Verb Conjugation Tables

The Other Present Tenses

Printable Test

• The board has decided to uphold the appeal.
• I have taken the wrong path.

Are you a visual learner? Do you prefer video to text? Here is a list of all our grammar videos .

• Janet has run two miles.
• Janet ran two miles.
• David has worked alongside two of the world's finest scientists in the field of entomology.
• David worked alongside two of the world's finest scientists in the field of entomology.
• I have worked.
• She has painted.

Forming the Past Participle (Regular Verbs)

• jump > jumped
• paint > painted
• chat > chatted
• stop > stopped
• sew > sewed
• play > played
• fix > fixed
• incur > incurred
• prefer > preferred
• open > opened
• enter > entered
• swallow > swallowed
• thrive > thrived
• guzzle > guzzled
• cry > cried
• fry > fried

Forming the Past Participle (Irregular Verbs)

• arise > arisen
• catch > caught
• choose > chosen
• know > known

The Negative Version

• The board has not decided to uphold the appeal.
• I have not taken the wrong path.

The Question Version

• Has the board decided to uphold the appeal?
• Have I taken the wrong path?
• Why has the board decided to uphold the appeal?
• How have I taken the wrong path?

Infographic for the Present Perfect Tense

Top 10 Regular Verbs

Top 10 Irregular Verbs

All 4 Past Tenses

All 4 Present Tenses

All 4 Future Tenses

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Present perfect simple ( I have worked )

Present perfect simple: form.

We use have/has + the -ed form of the verb.

Verbs: the three basic forms

Present perfect simple: uses

We use the present perfect simple to refer to events in the past but which connect to the present.

Experiences

We use the present perfect simple to talk about our experiences up to now. The time of the experiences is not important:

[talking about musical theatre productions]

And I ’ve seen ‘Buddy’ and I ’ve seen ‘Starlight Express’ in London. And I want to see ‘Phantom of the Opera’ next.

We’re going to Wagamama’s for dinner tonight. I ’ve been there a couple of times before.

Although we do not give a specific time, we often use general time expressions like ever, never, before, in my life, so far, up until now with this use of the present perfect simple:

We haven’t met before , have we?

They ’ve sold 110 so far . ( so far = from a point in the past up until now)

We often use ever, not … ever and never when we talk about experiences:

It was the worst performance we have ever seen .

Have you ever tried to write your name and address with your left hand?

She ’s never said sorry for what she did.

We often use the present perfect simple for a unique experience when we are using a superlative:

I felt the happiest I have ever felt . My first Olympic final; the bronze medal; European record of 9.97 seconds.

The dome of the Blue Mosque at Isfahan is the most beautiful building I have ever seen .

It was the best decision I have ever made in my life.

It’s the worst sports programme I have ever seen and the first I have ever turned off.

We usually use the present perfect simple with the first time when we’re talking about an immediate, continuing or recent event:

That’s the first time I ’ve seen you get angry.

Recent completed events

We use the present perfect simple to talk about a finished event or state in the very recent past. We do not give a specific time. We often use words like just or recently for events taking place a very short time before now:

What’s this? What ’s just happened ?

The company employs around 400 staff and has recently opened an office in the UK.

Niki and John have just come back from a week in Spain.

Past events, present results

We use the present perfect simple when a single past action has a connection with the present:

She ’s broken her arm in two places. (Her arm is still broken now.)

Why haven’t you dressed in something warmer? (You got dressed in the past but the clothes are not warm enough for now.)

A fire has broken out at a disused hotel on the seafront. (The fire is burning now; it’s a recent event too.)

Your flowers haven’t arrived . (Your flowers are not here; they were supposed to arrive in the past.)

Time + for and since

We use the present perfect simple with for and since to talk about a present situation that began at a specific point in the past and is still going on in the present. We are looking back from the present to a point in the past.

How long …?

We often use expressions with for and since to answer the question How long …+ present perfect simple. We use the How long …? question to ask about the duration of a state or activity:

A: How long have you worked there? B: Since 21 August. So for about four months .

We use yet + the present perfect simple, mainly in questions and negative statements, to refer to things we intend to do in the future but which are not done:

Don’t wash up that cup. I haven’t finished my coffee yet . (I intend to finish it.)

Haven’t you done your homework yet ? (You intend to do it.)

We use already + the present perfect simple when we want to emphasise that something is done or achieved, often before the expected time:

I ’ve already booked my flight home.

A: Will you go and clean your teeth! B: I ’ve already cleaned them .

We use still + the present perfect simple when we want to emphasise that something we expected to happen continues not to happen:

She still hasn’t said sorry to me.

I feel really tired. I still haven’t recovered from the jet lag.

Introducing past time events

The present perfect simple is often used in newspaper headlines or TV news programmes to report a recent past event. It is then followed by a series of verbs in the past simple (underlined):

Charlton Heston has died aged 84, a spokesman for his family has said . Heston died on Saturday at his home in Beverly Hills. His wife Lydia, whom he married in 1944, was at his side. Heston won a best actor Oscar for his starring role in the epic ‘Ben Hur’.

We can also use the present perfect simple to introduce an ‘open’ general point about something. We can then use the past simple (underlined) to give more detailed specific information:

Have you seen any Arthur Miller plays? I saw a fantastic production of ‘The Crucible’.

American English

In American English the past simple is often used instead of the present perfect simple, often with already and yet .

British and American English

Word of the Day

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a person whose job is changing words, especially written words, into a different language

Scarce, scant and sparse (Ways of saying ‘not enough’)

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• Explanations

The Present Perfect Simple Tense

Perfect english grammar.

How to form the present perfect

• Click here to download this explanation as a pdf
• Learn about USING the present perfect here
• For a list of all the present perfect exercises, click here
• '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

(Also, here's some help if you are not sure how to pronounce '-ed' at the end of a verb).

Try an exercise about the positive form here

The negative is really simple too. Just put 'not' after 'have' or 'has':

Try an exercise about the negative form here

To make a question, put 'have' or 'has' in front of the subject:

As you can imagine, for 'wh' questions, we just put the question word before 'have' or 'has':

• Click here for a list of all the present perfect exercises

Click here to read more about our learning method