Present Tenses

Present Perfect

Practice using the present perfect to connect past actions to the present.

Form

The present perfect is formed with the auxiliary verb have or has plus the past participle of the main verb. Use 'have' with I, you, we, and they, and 'has' with he, she, and it (I have finished, she has gone). Regular past participles end in -ed, but many common verbs are irregular (eaten, seen, written). Negatives use have not / has not, and questions invert the auxiliary (Have you eaten?).

When to Use It

For past actions with a result in the present, such as 'I have lost my keys, so I can't get in.'
For life experiences without a specific time, such as 'She has visited Japan twice.'
For actions that started in the past and continue now, such as 'We have known each other for years.'
For recent actions with 'just', such as 'He has just arrived.'
For actions in an unfinished time period, such as 'I have read three books this month.'

Signal Words

alreadyyetjusteverneversinceforso farrecentlylately

Common Mistakes

Using the present perfect with a finished past time: write 'I saw it yesterday', not 'I have seen it yesterday'.
Confusing 'since' and 'for': use 'since' for a point in time (since 2010) and 'for' for a length of time (for ten years).
Using the past simple instead of the past participle: write 'I have gone', not 'I have went'.

Practice

I can't find my wallet. I think I ___ it.

___ you ever ___ sushi?

She ___ in this city since 2015.

Wethis movie already, so let's watch something else.

Hehis homework yet.

Theyeach other for ten years.

Put the words in the correct order:

Click words from the bank to place them here

Put the words in the correct order:

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Put the words in the correct order:

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My sister ___ already ___ the dishes, so you don't need to.

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Present Continuous

Present Perfect Continuous

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