The present perfect tense is a grammatical verb form to describe actions or events that began in the past and have relevance or a connection to the present moment.
The present perfect chart above serves as a helpful guide to understanding the usage and structure of the present perfect tense in English. It explains how this tense connects past actions with the present, focusing on experiences or events that have occurred at an unspecified time before now. The chart highlights the construction of affirmative, negative, and question forms, with examples to clarify each form.
| Form | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | ||
| Subject + have/has + Past participle | She has left. | |
| Negative | ||
| Subject + have/has not + Past participle | She hasn't left. | |
| Interrogative | ||
| Have/Has + Subject + Past participle? | Has she left? | |
| Negative Interrogative | ||
| Hasn't/Has not + Subject + Past participle? | Hasn't she left? | |
The present perfect is formed by using the auxiliary verb have (in the present tense) followed by the past participle of the main verb. For example:
The use of have (or has for the third-person singular) indicates the present aspect, while the past participle of the verb expresses the completed action or state. The present perfect tense is used to describe past actions or experiences that have a connection to the present. It emphasises the result, impact, or relevance of the past event on the current situation. It is often accompanied by time expressions such as already, just, recently, or since, which provide further context.
The present perfect tense is used to talk about actions or events that started in the past and connect to the present. It is formed with the present tense of the verb have and the past participle of the main verb.
The present perfect tense can also be used to talk about actions that happened at an unspecified time in the past.
The present perfect is generally used in English with time adverbials like ever, never, just, already, yet.
The present perfect is often used in English with time adverbials that connect to the present up to now, until now, so far.
Regular verbs take the suffix 'ed' to form the past participle. For irregular verbs, you will have to memorise them.
Here are some common mistakes students often make when using the present perfect tense.
The present perfect cannot be used with specific time expressions that refer to the past, such as "yesterday," "last week," or "in 2010." Use the past simple tense instead.
The present perfect requires the auxiliary verb "have" or "has" before the past participle.
