At its core, the Present Perfect connects the past to the present. It talks about actions or states that happened at an unspecified time before now, or actions that started in the past and continue to the present.
Formation
The Present Perfect tense is formed using two components:
- have/has (the present tense of the auxiliary verb “have”)
- the past participle of the main verb.
Here’s a quick reminder of past participles:
- For regular verbs, the past participle is usually the same as the simple past form (e.g., walked, played, studied).
- Irregular verbs have different past participle forms that you’ll need to learn (e.g., gone, seen, eaten, written).
Structure
- Affirmative: Subject + have/has + past participle
- I have finished my work.
- She has lived here for ten years.
- They have visited Paris twice.
- Negative: Subject + have/has + not + past participle
- I have not finished my work.
- She has not lived here for ten years.
- They have not visited Paris twice. (or They haven’t visited Paris twice.)
- Interrogative: Have/Has + Subject + past participle?
- Have you finished your work?
- Has she lived here for ten years?
- Have they visited Paris twice?
Key Uses of the Present Perfect
This is where the nuance comes in. The Present Perfect isn’t just a random mix of past and present; it has specific uses:
- An action or situation that started in the past and continues to the present: This often involves time expressions like for, since, how long.
- I have known her since 2010. (I still know her now.)
- They have lived in this city for five years. (They still live here.)
- How long have you been learning English? (You are still learning.)
- An action performed during a period of time that has not yet finished: This could be today, this week, this month, this year, etc.
- I have drunk three cups of coffee today. (The day isn’t over yet.)
- She has read two books this week. (The week isn’t over.)
- We haven’t seen him this month. (The month isn’t finished.)
- A completed action at an unspecified time in the past: The exact time is not important or not known. The focus is on the result of the action in the present.
- I have lost my keys. (The result is that I don’t have them now.)
- He has visited many countries. (The experience is relevant now.)
- They have eaten all the cake. (The cake is gone now.)
- A recently completed action: Often used with just.
- I have just finished my homework.
- The train has just arrived.
- She has just called.
- With ever and never to talk about experiences in one’s life:
- Have you ever been to Japan?
- I have never seen snow.
- She has never forgotten his birthday.
Time Expressions Commonly Used with the Present Perfect
These words and phrases often signal the use of the Present Perfect:
- for (a duration of time: for five years, for two weeks)
- since (a specific point in time: since Monday, since 1998)
- just (very recently)
- already (before now)
- yet (up to now, often in questions and negative sentences)
- ever (at any time in the past, usually in questions)
- never (at no time in the past)
- so far / up to now / until now
- lately / recently
- this week/month/year/etc. (when the period is not finished)
- in the last few weeks/months/years
Things to Watch Out For
- Completed past actions with a specific time: If you mention a specific time in the past, you usually use the Simple Past tense, not the Present Perfect.
- Incorrect: I have gone to the cinema yesterday.
- Correct: I went to the cinema yesterday.
- Actions that happened at a finished time in the past: Similar to the above, if the time period is over, use the Simple Past.
- Incorrect: She has lived in London last year.
- Correct: She lived in London last year.
- State verbs: Some verbs describe states rather than actions (e.g., be, have, know, understand, believe). While they can be used in the Present Perfect, they often describe a state that started in the past and continues now.
- I have known him for a long time. (state of knowing)
- She has been tired all day. (state of being)