The Present Perfect
The form :
Has / have + p.p (past participle)
We use the present perfect to talk about actions that begin in the past and are related to
the present (in some way ). Those actions may …
1-…begin in the past and continue till the present :
e.g. : I have lived here for five years (I lived in the past and still live here).
The weather has been great since Sunday(It was great in Sunday and it was great after
Sunday till the present time).
2- … begin in the past and finish close to the present :
e.g : I have just finished my homework (my notebook is still open ).
The film has just started .
3-… begin in the past and finish in the past, but leave a result in the present :
e.g.: I have painted the house .(You can see it is newly painted and may even smell the
paint in the house).
Pay attention : We also use the Present Perfect to talk about an action that happened in
the past when we don't know or are not interested in exactly when that happened.
Compare : a- She's been to Australia before .( She was in Australia but we don't know
exactly when).
b- She went to Australia in 1994 . ( I know exactly when the action took place).
It is wrong to say : (She has been to Australia in 1994)because we must use the past simple
when we have a specific date.
a- He's gone to Australia (He is there now ).
b- He's been to Australia (He is not there now but he was there in the past).
a- I broke my leg .(it happened in the past ; there is no link between this event and
the present… my leg is not broken now).
b-I have broken my leg .(it is still broken now and I can't walk ).
We use the following time adverbials with the Present Perfect :
Ever (only in questions and it appears before the main verb): Have you ever seen a lion ?
Never, just , already (they both appear before the main verb):
I have never seen a lion ./ She has just come.
Yet : comes at the end of questions and sentences : I haven't seen her yet.
For : tells us about the period of time which the activity has taken : for (three hours, five
days,ages,two minutes…).
Since : tells us about the point in time (the specific time)when the activity began :since
(1995, three hours ago, I was a child …).
Pay attention : Verbs come in the Simple Past after "since" as in (I lived here since I was a
child).
Compare : a – Lara has been my best friend since I was young
b- Lara was my best friend when I was young.
…………………………………………………………………………….
a-I haven't seen Ali this morning yet.
b- I didn't see Ali at all this morning.
…………………………………………………………………………………
a- I have been to France twice.
b- I went to France last year.
…………………………………………………………………………………
a- I have broken my finger.
b- I broke my finger when I was young.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Choose the best answer :
1- I ( have visited – has visited – visited )many countries two years ago.
2- I have liked chocolate since (four years – I was a child – three days ).
3- My friend ( hasn't come – didn't come to the meeting ) yesterday.
4- I have lived here for (1991 – ten years – ten years ago).
5- She has (already – yet ) finished her homework.
1. Come in ! I ( just made – have just made ) tea.
2. I ( haven’t had – didn’t have ) lunch yet.
3. I ( went – have gone ) to the dentist last week.
4. I was on my way to school one day, when I ( have slipped – slipped) and ( fell – have
fallen ) off the bus.
5. I ( was – have been) in hospital about five weeks ago.
6. I ( didn’t ride - haven’t ridden ) my new bike yet.
7. I ( already packed - have already packed ) my suitcase.
8. I ( sprained – have sprained ) my ankle once, in a basketball match.
9. I ( just received – have just received ) an e-mail.
10. Fatima ( has already eaten - already ate ) her lunch.
11. I ( have just started - just started ) writing properly.
12. ( Have you ever hurt – Did you ever hurt) yourself?
13. I ( broke – have broken ) my leg two years ago.
14. ( Have you tidied - Did you tidy ) your room as I asked you to yet ?
15. ( Have you ever been – Were you ever ) to hospital?
16. I ( haven’t finished – didn’t finish) playing yet.
17. A few weeks ago, a woman ( bought – has bought)some bananas.
18. I was playing tennis when I ( fell – have fallen ) down.