3.1: Present Perfect Form and Use
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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
These charts show the forms of the present perfect:
Forming the Present Perfect
| Subject | Auxiliary Verb Have/Has | Negative | Negative Contraction | Past Participle | Rest of Sentence |
| I | have | not | haven't | studied | for my test. |
| You | have | not | haven't | been | very nice to me today. |
| He/She/It | has | not | hasn't | finished | the work. |
| We | have | not | haven't | eaten | dinner. |
| They | have | not | haven't | taken | three trips to Mexico. |
Questions
Yes/No Questions Wh- Questions
| Have | I | taken your seat ? | What | Have | I | just done? |
| Have | you | ever played an instrument ? | Where | have | you | been? |
| Has | he/she/it | eaten yet ? | When | have | you | failed a test? |
| Have | we | gotten lost? | How | have | we | gotten lost? |
| Have | they | seen the new baby? | Who | have | they | seen? |
Questions about the Subject
| Who | has | taken my pen? |
| What | has | just happened? |
Forming the Past Participle
The regular form of the past participle is base form + -ed
- Walk--walked
Past participle spelling for regular verbs (adding -ed)
- Most regular verbs add -ed to the base form
- Walk--walked
- Rain-rained
- Regular verbs ending in -e just add -d
- CVC Rule: Regular verbs ending in one stressed vowel + one consonant (except w,x , or y) double the consonant and add -ed
- Plan--planned
- Stop--stopped
- Regular verbs ending in consonant + y change the y to i and add -ed / Regular verbs ending in vowel +y add ed
- Study--studied
- Play--played
- Regular verbs ending in -c add -ked
- Picnic--picnicked
- Traffic--trafficked
Irregular verb forms do not follow one rule (See Appendix 1 for a list of common irregular verbs.)
Exercise 1.1:
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate form of the present perfect tense verbs.
- 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 1.2:
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 car was dirty yesterday. Now it’s clean. (wash)
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 1.3:
Use the information to write a statement using the words in parentheses.
1. John isn’t at the office. (take / a day off)
John has taken the day off.
2. My brother can’t win 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)
________________________________________________________________________
Present Perfect Usage
Present perfect tense is used in the following situations:
| Usage | Examples |
| ⏳ Unfinished Actions: Begins in the past and continues into the present |
- We have been in this room since 8 a.m. - She has lived in this city for five years. |
| ❓ Indefinite Time: Time of action is unknown or unimportant |
- Have you ever studied geology? - He has seen the latest Disney movie. |
| ✅ Finished Actions: Action is complete and affects the present |
- I am not hungry. I have already eaten. - The children have done their homework. Now, they can watch TV. |
Exercise 1.4-Finished in the Past or Continuing into the Present?
Instructions:
Read the sentences below. Decide whether each one describes an action that is finished in the past or one that continues into the present. Write each sentence under the correct heading in the chart.
1. I have visited London twice.
2. She has finished her homework.
3. We have lived in this city for ten years.
4. He has already eaten breakfast .
5. They have known each other since childhood.
6. She has always loved classical music.
7. I have had this phone for three years.
8. I have written three essays this semester.
9. We have been friends for a long time.
| Finished in the Past | Continues into the Present |
|---|---|
Charts and Exercises 1.1 to 1.4 created with the assistance of ChatGPT
More on Present Perfect
Present perfect tense is used as a bridge between past and present. It connects past actions to the present moment...
- 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
- 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
- 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...