2.1: Present Perfect Tense
- Page ID
- 273618
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Present Perfect Tense Form and Usage
| Form | Explanation | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Subject + have/has + past participle | - I have finished the report. - She has visited Paris. |
|
Negative |
Subject + have/has +not + past participle Subject + haven't/hasn't + past participle |
-We haven't eaten lunch yet. -He has not taken the test. |
|
Questions |
(Wh-word) Have/Has + Subject + past participle |
-Have you done your homework? -Where has he gone? |
| Usage | Explanation | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Unspecified Time | Describes actions or experiences without mentioning when they happened or repeated actions in the past without saying when. | - I have seen that movie before. - She has traveled to Japan three times. |
| Life Experiences | Refers to actions or events someone has experienced in their life up to now. | - He has climbed Mount Everest. - They have never been to Australia. |
| Actions Continuing to Present | Describes actions that started in the past and continue into the present. | - She has lived here for five years. - We have worked on this project since January. |
| Recently Completed Actions | Describes actions completed very recently, often with words like "just," or "already," | - I have just finished my homework. - He has already bought his textbook. |
| Results in the Present | Focuses on past actions that have a present consequence or relevance. | - He has broken his leg. (It’s still broken.) - The package has arrived. |
Practice Present Perfect Tense
Exercise 2.1.1: Present Perfect Tense-Form
Fill in the blanks with the present perfect tense of the given verbs. Don't forget to follow the rules of subject and verb agreement!
e.g: She has studied [study] English for two years.
1. I _________________________________ [take] a class with our grammar teacher before.
2. Mr. and Mrs. Jones_______________________ [be] our neighbors for 20 years.
3. Everyone_____________________________ [finish] taking the test.
4. How long ______________________ you ____________________ [live] in Texas?
5. She _______________________________________ [eat/not] breakfast yet.
6. The students in the back of the classroom_____________________________ [answer/not] any questions today.
7. How many times _________________ you ____________________ [go] to Galveston this month?
8. My family________________ already ___________________ [come] to the United States three times since I moved here.
9. There____________________________ [be] several accidents since they began doing the road construction.
10. My brother __________________________ [teach] elementary school for two years.
Exercise 2.1.2: Present Perfect Tense-Usage
A: Why is the present perfect used? Read the explanations (1 to 5) below.
1. Action that happened at an unspecified time or repeated actions in the past without saying when.
2. Actions or events someone has experienced at some time in their life.
3. Action started in the past and continued to the present [for/since/how long]
4. Recently completed action
5. Past action with a result or effect in the present.
B: Underline the present perfect tense verb in each of the following sentences. Then write the number from the above explanations 1, 2, 3 , 4 or 5 to state the reason. There may be more than one reason.
1.My family has gone to San Antonio four times.
2.We have been in class since 8:30 this morning.
3.Have you ever been to New York?
4.I have taught at San Jacinto College for 26 years.
5.I haven’t had my lunch yet, and I am very hungry.
6.She has already finished her homework. Now, she can go out with her friends.
7.We have studied five tenses so far.
8.We have studied the present perfect since we came to class today.
9.How long have you lived in Texas?
Exercise 2.1.3: Using Present Perfect to Discuss Our Past Experiences
We often use present perfect tense to discuss past experiences. The following questions will give you practice in using the present perfect to discuss your experiences with travel in the past.
Part 1: For each question below, answer with information about yourself. Write in complete sentences. Use present perfect tense.
- What cities or states have you visited in the United States?
- What countries have you visited outside of your own country?
- What is the best place you have ever traveled to? Why did you like it?
Part 2: Interview a partner and write their answers to the above questions on a separate piece of paper. Use the pronouns "he" or "she" or use the person's name.
Example: In the United States, Samuel has visited San Francisco, California and Dallas, Texas. He has also been to Mexico and Canada.
Extended Practice-Writing Assignment:
For homework, use your answers to Part 2 above to write a paragraph about your partner.
Videos and Other Resources
Watch this video to learn more about forming and using present perfect...
Try this website to practice forming and using present perfect..
Exercises adapted from the page titled 2.3: Present Perfect Tense, shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Nooshi Borhan (Contra Costa College)