3.1.1: Present Perfect Form and Use
- Page ID
- 272468
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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
- Ending in one or more vowels (except final e)
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
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 with the Present Perfect Tense
Exercise 1:
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate form of the present perfect tense verbs.
(Created with ChatGPT)
- Sarah __________________ (finish) her homework.
- They __________________ (visit) Paris several times.
- ________________ Jenny ____________________ (eat) at this restaurant before?
- He ___________________ ( read) three books so far this month.
- We ___________________ (not, eat) at that restaurant before.
- Jenny ____________________ (live) in this city for five years.
- ____________ you __________ (see) the new movie yet?
- The team ___________________ (win) the championship twice.
- Where ______________ your sisters _________________? (go)
- They ____________________ ( not, arrive) at the airport yet.
Exercise 2:
Write a suitable sentence using the Present Perfect Tense
1. Tom’s shoes were dirty. Now they’re clean. (clean)
Tom has cleaned his shoes.___________
2. Sarah is at the airport now. (arrive)
3. My computer was broken yesterday. Now it’s fixed. (repair)
4. Oh no! I forgot my book. (leave / it at home)
5. Alice needs a break. (work hard / this week)
6. They visited their grandparents yesterday. They have left now. (see)
7. Rachel has a new job. She is excited about it. (get)
Exercise 3:
Use Present Perfect tense after because.
1. John isn’t at the office. (take / a day off)
_________John has taken the day off. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. She can’t play the game. (not practice enough)
3. They can’t go on vacation. (not saved enough money)
4. I don’t have the document. (not receive it)
5. We are going to arrive late. (get stuck in traffic)
6. Joe can’t play soccer today. (injure his leg)
7. I might fail my test. (not study for it)
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Exercises 1 to 3 created with the assistance of Chat GPT