Present Perfect
By Dragana Filipovic
Present Perfect Simple
have / has + past participle
I have seen the film before.
She has seen the film before.
Have you seen the film before?
Has she seen the film before?
They haven’t seen the film before.
He hasn’t seen the film before.
Recent events
• Present Perfect Simple is used to describe
recent events without a definite time. The
idea of time or place in the speaker’s mind
makes the event recent. A time expression
may emphasise recentness (just, recently,
lately).
I’ve left my shopping bag behind.
I’ve just broken my watch.
• We can also describe events that have not
happened.
I haven’t found her phone number yet.
• The event may be connected with the
present, because the result of the event is
present. No definite time is given for the
event.
I’ve broken my arm, as you can see.
I think I’ve eaten something bad. I don’t
feel well.
Indefinite events
• Present Perfect Simple – No definite time
is given for the event.
I’ve been to France three times.
• Compared with Past Simple – Events
described using the Past Simple have
definite time (yesterday, last week ...)
I went to France last year.
• The tense used can depend on the time
expression.
This is the first time I have eaten
Japanese food.
• If we think of a definite place for an event,
this may suggest a definite time.
I left my shopping bag on the train.
The difference between the Present
Perfect and the Past Simple
• The Present Perfect is used when the
present result is important.
• The Past Simple is used for something
that happened in the past and that has no
direct link to the present.
 We have finished the house. Now we
need a vacation.
BUT
 We finished the house and left for a
vacation.
 I have met Ray a few times but I don’t
like him.
BUT
 I met Ray a few times but I didn’t like
him.
• The Present Perfect cannot be used for
something that happened at a specific
time in the past. It cannot be used with
words and phrases of past time which say
(or ask) when something happened, e.g.
yesterday, last week / month / year, …ago,
at five o’clock, on Sunday, When …? …
These words refer to events that
happened and were completed in the past.
Therefore we use them with the Past
Simple.
 Gerald has bought a new car. He bought
it last week.
 Have you met Ray? – Yes, I met him
when we were students.
 My parents have been to India. In fact,
they went there twice last year.
 Has anybody phoned me? – Yes, Joyce
phoned an hour ago.
 I’ve seen that man before. – Really?
When did you see him?
• Some words or phrases of time, e.g.
today, this morning / week / month / year,
can be used with either the Present
Perfect or the Past Simple. If the period
is not finished at the time of speaking /
writing, the Present Perfect is used.
 I haven’t seen Rachel this morning. Have
you? – No, she hasn’t come yet. (It’s still
morning.)
 I didn’t see Rachel this morning. Did you?
– No, she didn’t come in at all. (It’s
afternoon or evening.)
• The Present Perfect can be used only for
events or actions that are connected with
the present. With events, people or actions
that are known to be connected with the
past (e.g. historical events, people who
are dead), the Past Simple is used.
 Stephen King has written many books.
 Agatha Christie wrote detective stories.
 Michael Jackson has appeared all over
the world.
 How many songs did the Beatles write?