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2.3: Present Perfect Tense

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    Form and Use

    Read the sentences below. What are the verbs? How is the present perfect tense formed?

    • Scientists have studied the causes of climate change for decades
    • One scientist has written several articles
    • Have you changed the light bulbs in your house?
    • We have not found the solution to climate change

    Answers

    • Have studied
    • Has written
    • Have you changed
    • Have not found

    To make the present perfect, use "have/has" with the past participle of the verb...

    • EX: Scientists have studied the causes of climate change for decades

    Affirmative Statements:

    I Have Past participle
    You Have Past participle
    He/She/It Has Past participle
    We Have Past participle
    They Have Past participle

    Negative Statements:

    I Have not Past participle
    You Have not Past participle
    He/She/It Has not Past participle
    We Have not Past participle
    They Have not Past participle

    Questions:

    Have I Past participle ?
    Have You Past participle ?
    Has He/She/It Past participle ?
    Have We Past participle ?
    Have They Past participle ?

    Forming the Past Participle

    The regular form of the past participle is base form + -ed

    • EX: Walk--walked

    Irregular verb forms do not follow one rule

    • EX: Eat--eaten
    • EX: Wake--woken

    Past participle spelling for regular verbs (adding -ed)

    • Most regular verbs add -ed to the infinitive form
      • EX: Walk--walked
    • Regular verbs ending in -e just add -d
      • EX: Like--liked
      • EX: Receive--received
    • CVC Rule: Regular verbs ending in one stressed vowel + one consonant (except w,x , or y) double the consonant and add -ed
      • EX: Plan--planned
      • EX: Stop--stopped
      • EX: Refer--referred
      • EX: Control--controlled
    • Regular verbs ending in consonant + y change the y to i and add -ed
      • EX: Carry--carried
      • EX: Study--studied
      • EX: Try--tried
    • Regular verbs ending in -c add -ked
      • EX: Picnic--picnicked
      • EX: Traffic--trafficked
    • Default: All other regular verbs add -ed
      • Ending in one or more vowels (except final e)
        • EX: Moo--mooed
        • EX: Ski--skied
      • Ending in two or more consonants
        • EX: Depend--depended
        • EX: Push--pushed
        • EX: Start--started
      • Ending in unstressed syllable and one consonant
        • EX: Market--marketed
        • EX: Number--numbered
        • EX: Question--questioned
      • Ending in two or more vowels + one consonant
        • EX: Explain--explained
        • EX: Rain--rained
      • Ending in vowel + -y
        • EX: Enjoy--enjoyed
        • EX: Play--played
      • Ending in -w or -x
        • EX: Show--showed
        • EX: Tax--taxed

    Present Perfect Usage

    Present perfect tense is used in the following situations:

    • The action is unfinished. It may affect or continue into the present moment
      • EX: The climate has changed drastically
      • EX: She hasn't been to the gym yet
    • The time of the action is indefinite (unknown or unimportant)
      • EX: Have you ever studied geology?
      • EX: He has never owned an electric car

    Contrasting Present Perfect and Simple Past

    Read the sentences below. In which sentence is the action finished?

    • I have called two senators about climate change so far
    • I called two senators about climate change last week

    Answers

    The action is finished in the second sentence. "Called" is simple past. In the first sentence, the tense is present perfect, "has called." The author might call another senator in the future

    Read the sentences below. In which sentence is the time definite (known)?

    • Have you ever studied geology?
    • I studied geology in college

    Answers

    The time is definite (known) in the second sentence. "Studied" is simple past. In the first sentence, the tense is present perfect. The speaker wants to know about your studies of geology at any time in the past

    The simple past is used for finished actions at a definite time...

    • He wrote three articles about climate change last year
    • I read one article last night

    The present perfect is used for unfinished actions or actions that take place in the indefinite past

    • He has written letters to his senators every month (and he will continue this month)
    • I have already read the article (the time when this happened is not important)

    More on Present Perfect

    Present perfect tense is used as a bridge between past and present. It connects past actions to the present moment...

    • EX: She has studied English since she was a child
      • She began in the past, but she is still studying now. The sentence is about both the past and the present
    • EX: Have you eaten yet?
      • Did you eat in the past? If you say "no," I'll offer you some food now. The sentence is about both the past and the present
    • EX: I have already finished my homework
      • The homework was finished in the past, but it's not important when. The important thing is, I can rest now

    Time Expressions Used with Present Perfect

    • Since
    • For
    • Ever
    • Never
    • Yet
    • Already
    • So far

    Examples:

    • Scientists have studied climate change for decades
    • One geologist has been fascinated by the topic since college
    • Have you ever driven an electric car?
    • The students have never seen the movie An Inconvenient Truth
    • We have already watched two videos about climate change, though
    • Have you watched Climate Change Basics yet?
    • So far I have recycled 300 soda cans

    For and Since

    "For" refers to the duration of time...

    • For three years
    • For a minute
    • For my whole life

    "Since" refers to the point in time that the action began...

    • Since 2001
    • Since I was a child
    • Since the beginning of the semester

    Videos and Other Resources

    Watch this video to learn more about forming and using present perfect...

    Watch this video to learn more about the difference between present perfect and simple past...

    Try this website to practice forming and using present perfect...

    Practice Present Perfect Tense

    For each question below, answer with a complete sentence. Use present perfect tense and a different time expression in each sentence...

    • What actions have you taken to prevent climate change?
    • Have you tried using reusables in your kitchen? Which ones?
    • How long have you owned your car?
    • What articles have you read so far about climate change?
    • How long has this class studied climate change?

    2.3: Present Perfect Tense is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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