Present Perfect Tense

The Present Perfect tense is one of the most commonly used tenses in English. It connects the past with the present and is often confusing for learners. Let’s break it down step by step.

1. Form

The Present Perfect is formed with:

Subject + have/has + past participle (V3)

I/You/We/They → have + V3
He/She/It → has + V3

Examples:

I have eaten breakfast.
She has finished her homework.
They have visited London.

2. When Do We Use It?

a) Past action with a present result

We use the Present Perfect when something happened in the past but is still important now.

I have lost my keys. (I don’t have them now.)
She has broken her leg. (Her leg is still broken.)

b) Life experiences (without saying when)

We use it to talk about experiences in our life. We don’t say the exact time.

I have been to Paris.
He has never tried sushi.
Have you ever seen a shooting star?

c) Unfinished time periods

We use it with words like today, this week, this year when the time is not finished yet.

I have read three books this month. (The month is not over.)
She has worked a lot today. (Today is still going.)

d) Repeated actions until now

We use it to describe actions that happened several times in the past and may happen again.

I have watched that movie three times.
They have visited us many times.

3. Signal Words

Some words often appear with the Present Perfect:

ever, never, already, just, yet, still, so far, recently, lately

Examples:

Have you ever been to London?
She has already finished her work.
They haven’t arrived yet.

4. Common Mistakes

❌ Wrong	✅ Correct
I have went to the store.	I have gone to the store.
Did you ever eat sushi?	Have you ever eaten sushi?
I have finished my homework yesterday.	I finished my homework yesterday.

Past Time Expressions

We don’t use Present Perfect with past time expressions like yesterday, last year, in 2010.

5. Comparison with Past Simple

Present Perfect: Focus on the result or experience, time not mentioned.
- I have seen that movie. (At some time in my life, result is important.)
Past Simple: Focus on the specific time in the past.
- I saw that movie yesterday. (Time is mentioned.)

Quick Review

Form: have/has + past participle (V3).
Uses:
1. Past action with a present result.
2. Life experiences (no exact time).
3. Actions in an unfinished time period.
4. Repeated actions until now.
Signal Words: ever, never, already, just, yet, so far, recently, lately.
Do not use with specific past times (yesterday, last year, etc.).
Compare carefully with Past Simple.

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