- Form the Present Perfect with have/has + past participle
- Use ever, never, just, already and yet correctly
- Talk about continuing situations with for and since
- Choose between the Present Perfect and the Past Simple
Have you ever been to London? Oh no, I've lost my keys! These sentences talk about the past, but their focus is the present: your life experience, or the fact that you can't open the door now. The tense that connects the past with the present is called the Present Perfect.
The form: have/has + past participle
The Present Perfect is made with have (I, you, we, they) or has (he, she, it) plus the past participle of the main verb. For regular verbs the past participle is the same as the past form: work → worked → worked. For irregular verbs it has to be learned.
| Sentence | I / you / we / they | he / she / it |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | I have (I've) finished. | She has (she's) finished. |
| Negative | I haven't (have not) finished. | She hasn't (has not) finished. |
| Question | Have you finished? | Has she finished? |
| Short answer | Yes, I have. / No, I haven't. | Yes, she has. / No, she hasn't. |
| Base form (V1) | Past Simple (V2) | Past Participle (V3) |
|---|---|---|
| be | was / were | been |
| go | went | gone |
| see | saw | seen |
| do | did | done |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| write | wrote | written |
| take | took | taken |
| break | broke | broken |
| have | had | had |
| buy | bought | bought |
| lose | lost | lost |
| meet | met | met |
When do we use it?
| Use | Key words | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Life experience (the time is not important) | ever, never, before, … times | Have you ever eaten sushi? I have never been to Paris. She has visited Istanbul three times. |
| A recent action with a result now | just, already, yet | I've just finished my homework. She has already left. Have you done it yet? |
| A situation that started in the past and continues now | for, since, How long …? | I have lived in Baku for ten years. We have known each other since 2019. |
| for | since |
|---|---|
| a period — how long? | a starting point — since when? |
| for two hours, for three years, for a long time | since Monday, since 2020, since I was a child |
Present Perfect or Past Simple?
The main rule: if a finished time is mentioned (yesterday, last year, in 2020, two days ago, When …?), use only the Past Simple. If no time is given, or the period is not finished yet (ever, never, just, yet, today, this week), use the Present Perfect.
| Present Perfect | Past Simple |
|---|---|
| no time is given, or the time is not finished | a finished time is given |
| I have been to Istanbul. | I went to Istanbul last summer. |
| She has lost her phone. | She lost her phone yesterday. |
| Have you seen this film? | When did you see this film? |
Put the verbs in brackets into the Present Perfect or the Past Simple:
1) I ___ (never / try) Japanese food.
2) Murad ___ (just / finish) his project.
3) ___ you ___ (see) the new film yet?
4) We ___ (know) each other since 2018.
5) Leyla ___ (visit) Paris last year.
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2) Murad has just finished his project. — a moment ago, with a result now.
3) Have you seen the new film yet? — a question with yet.
4) We have known each other since 2018. — from 2018 until now.
5) Leyla visited Paris last year. — last year is a finished time → Past Simple.
- 1.I (never / be) to London.
- 2.Oh no! I (lose) my keys, and now I can't open the door.
- 3.You're too late — the train (already / leave).
- 4.Have you finished your homework ?
- 5.We have lived in Baku ten years.
- 6.I have known Leyla 2019.
- 7.I (see) Murad yesterday.
- 8.Aysel (go) to London — she is there now.
Key points
- Present Perfect = have/has + past participle: I have seen, she has gone.
- It is used for life experience (ever, never), recent actions with a present result (just, already, yet) and continuing situations (for, since).
- For + a period (for two years), since + a starting point (since 2020).
- With a finished time (yesterday, last year, ago, When …?) use only the Past Simple.
- Been — went and came back; gone — went and is still there.
Check yourself
10 questions. Every correct answer earns XP.