PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
TENSE
DEFINITION OF THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
The present perfect is used to indicate a link between
the present and the past. The time of the action is before
now but not specified, and we are often more interested
in the result than in the action itself.
THE PRESENT PERFECT IS USED TO
DESCRIBE
Actions started in the past and continuing in the present
• They haven't lived here for years.
• She has worked in the bank for five years.
• We have had the same car for ten years.
• Have you played the piano since you were a child?
When the time period referred to has not finished
• I have worked hard this week.
• It has rained a lot this year.
• We haven't seen her today.
Actions completed in the very recent past (+just)
• Have you just finished work?
• I have just eaten.
• We have just seen her.
• Has he just left?
When the precise time of the action is not important or not known
• Someone has eaten my soup!
• Have you seen 'Gone with the Wind'?
• She's studied Japanese, Russian, and English.
FORMING THE PRESENT PERFECT
• The present perfect of any verb is composed of two elements : the
appropriate form of the auxiliary verb to have (present tense), plus the
past participle of the main verb. The past participle of a regular verb
is base+ed, e.g. played, arrived, looked.
Affirmative sentences
Formula: Subject+ has/have + past participle of the verb+ object
Note: The third person singular pronouns (he, she, it) and singular noun
takes auxiliary verb has, and the pronouns I, you, we, they, and plural nouns
take auxiliary verb have.
EXAMPLES
• I have worked in this company since 2008.
• The kid has finished his homework.
• She has cooked for us for 3 years.
• You have made your choice.
• I have tried so many times.
• Mike has crashed his car.
• I have visited him twice in this month.
NEGATIVE SENTENCES
To use the present perfect tense in the negative, simply add the negative
word not after the auxiliary verb.
Formula : Subject + has/have + not + past participle of the verb + object
• You haven't done your work yet.
• They haven't come for 3 days.
• We haven't played this game before.
• The boy hasn't finished his project.
• They haven't eaten in a restaurant for 5 years.
• Ehsan hasn't brought the equipment.
• Linda hasn't taken the kid to school.
INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES
When asking a question in the present perfect tense, the auxiliary verb
comes first, followed by the subject, and then the past participle of the main
verb.
Formula: has/ have+ subject+ past participle of the main verb + object +?
Has it rained?
Have they gone to the store?
Have you finished your assignment?
Has he eaten lunch yet?
Have they visited the new art exhibit downtown?
Has she completed her project?
Have we made reservations for dinner tonight?
Has he applied for the job yet?
Have they been to the top of the mountain?
LETS PRACTICE
1.I __________ (eat) lunch already.
2.She __________ (visit) Paris many times.
3.They __________ (not finish) their homework yet.
4.He __________ (read) three books this month.
5.We __________ (travel) to Europe recently.
6.The cat __________ (hide) somewhere in the house.
7.You __________ (not see) that movie before.
8.My parents __________ (live) in this city for 20 years.
9.She __________ (learn) to play the guitar.
10.They __________ (not meet) their new neighbors.
11. I __________ (clean) the entire house.
12. We __________ (visit) the Grand Canyon last summer.
13. He __________ (already finish) his work.
14. The children __________ (not eat) all the cookies.
15. She __________ (not try) that new restaurant.
16. You __________ (read) Shakespeare's plays.
17. They __________ (travel) to Asia several times.
18. I __________ (just arrive) home.
19. We __________ (not see) each other in years.
20. He __________ (study) English for a long time.
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
TENSE
• The present perfect continuous (also known as the present perfect
progressive) is a verb tense used to talk about something that started in the
past and is continuing at the present time.
• I have been reading War and Peace for a month now.
• In this sentence, using the present perfect continuous conveys that
reading War and Peace is an activity that began sometime in the past and
is not yet finished in the present.
Affirmative/ Positive Sentences
Structure / Formula
Subject + has/have + been + Base form of the verb(+ing) + object + time(since/ for)
We often use for and since with perfect tenses:
• We use for to talk about a period of time: three hours, two months, one decade
• We use since to talk about a point in past time: 9 o'clock, 1st January, Monday
Examples
•
•
•
•
•
He has been playing football for two hours.
The child has been studying since morning.
She has been kneading the floor.
I have been playing my favorite game.
They have been working in this office since last year.
Negative Sentences
Structure / Formula
Subject + has/have + not + been + Base form of the verb(+ing) + object +
time(since/ for)
• Julia has not been making a sponge cake.
• He has not been reading his favorite book.
• She has not been planting for three hours.
• They have not been studying since morning.
• I have not been traveling.
Interrogative/ Question Sentences
Structure / Formula
Has/have + Subject + not + been + Base form of the verb(+ing) + object + time
(since/ for) + ?
• Has he been studying since morning?
• Has she been planting for two hours?
• Have they been traveling for two days?
• Has the farmer been ploughing the fields?
• Has he been smoking since 2011?