Present Perfect

You already know how to:

• talk about the present (present simple & present continuous)
• talk about the past (past simple)

In this lesson, you will learn a way to connect the past and the present.

1. What Is the Present Perfect?

The present perfect is used to talk about:

• things that happened before now
• but are connected to the present

Key idea:

Past action + present result or relevance

2. How Is the Present Perfect Formed?

The present perfect uses have/has + past participle. Use have with I/you/we/they and has with he/she/it.

Form	Structure	Example
Positive	subject + have/has + past participle	“She has finished her homework.” / “She’s finished her homework.”
Negative	subject + haven’t/hasn’t + past participle	“She hasn’t eaten yet.”
Question	Have/Has + subject + past participle?	“Have you been to Spain?”
Positive short answer	Yes, + subject + have/has.	“Yes, I have.” / “Yes, she has.”
Negative short answer	No, + subject + haven’t/hasn’t.	“No, I haven’t.” / “No, she hasn’t.”

The full negative forms are have not and has not. The main verb stays in the past participle form in every structure.

In speaking, use I’ve, you’ve, we’ve, they’ve, he’s, and she’s. She’s can mean she is or she has; with a past participle, it means she has: She’s finished.

What Is a Past Participle?

To make these sentences, we need a special verb form called the past participle.

Regular verbs

Regular verbs form the past participle by adding -ed.

Verb	Past participle	Spelling rule
stop	stopped	double the final consonant
study	studied	change y to i
live	lived	add -d after e
play	played	add -ed

Past simple and past participle look the same for regular verbs.

Irregular verbs

Irregular verbs have a different past participle form.

Examples:

• go → gone
• eat → eaten
• see → seen
• do → done
• make → made

These forms must be learned.

3. When Do We Use the Present Perfect?

At A2 level, focus on these common uses of the present perfect.

3.1 Life Experience (Before Now)

Use the present perfect to talk about things you have experienced in your life.
The time is usually not mentioned.

Use this for life experience when we do not say when it happened.

Examples:

• “I have been to Italy.”
• “She has tried sushi.”
• “We have seen that movie.”

Been means “visited and returned”: I have been to Italy. Gone means “went there and is still there or on the way”: She has gone to Italy.

3.2 Actions in an Unfinished Time Period

Use the present perfect when the time period is not finished. The action happened before now, but it is inside a time period that is still continuing. The action may happen once or several times in that period.

Examples:

• “I have drunk three coffees today.”
• “She has worked a lot this week.”
• “We have met many people this year.”

(Today / this week / this year = still continuing.)

3.3 Situations Continuing Until Now: “For” and “Since”

Use the present perfect for a situation that started in the past and is still true now. For gives the duration; since gives the starting point.

Word	Use	Examples
for	a length of time	for five years, for two hours
since	the point when the situation started	since 2020, since Monday

• “I have lived here for five years.”
• “She has lived here since 2020.”
• “We have known each other for a long time.”
• “He has had this phone since January.”

Ask How long...? to ask about duration: “How long have you lived here?”

4. Present Perfect vs Past Simple (Basic Comparison)

Present Perfect

• Time is not mentioned
• Focus is on experience

Example:

• “I have seen that movie.”

Past Simple

• Time is finished and mentioned
• Focus is on when it happened

Example:

• “I saw that movie last night.”

Compare:

• “I have been to London.”
  → Experience
• “I went to London in 2022.”
  → Specific time

5. Common Time Words Used with Present Perfect

These words often appear with the present perfect:

• ever
• never
• already
• yet
• just
• today
• this week / this month / this year
• for
• since

Examples:

• “Have you ever tried Thai food?”
• “I have never flown in a plane.”
• “She has already finished.”
• “They haven’t arrived yet.”
• “I have just finished my homework.”

Use already and just mainly in positive sentences, usually between have/has and the past participle: She has already finished. / I have just arrived. Use yet mainly in questions and negatives, at the end: Have they arrived yet? / They haven’t arrived yet.

6. Common Mistakes

Incorrect	Correct	Why?
I have went home.	I have gone home.	Use a past participle.
I have seen her yesterday.	I saw her yesterday.	Use past simple with a finished time.
Have you finished? Yes, I did.	Have you finished? Yes, I have.	Match the auxiliary in a short answer.

7. Easy Way to Remember

Ask yourself:

• Is the time not important or not said?
• Is there a connection to now?
• Am I talking about experience or a time period that is still continuing?

If yes → Present Perfect