Grammar - Beginner - The Present Perfect Tense

The Present Perfect Tense

Use the present perfect tense to talk about happenings in the past that explain or affect the present. The verbs have and has are used as “helping” or auxiliary verbs to form the present perfect tense.

Sam has scored two goals.
I’ve just finished my shower.
Uncle Tom has lost his wallet.
John has gone out.
The Lees have moved to Ohio.
It has not rained for months.
Have you found your keys yet?
Tim has made two spelling mistakes.
They have opened a new shop.

To form the present perfect tense join have or has to the past participle of the verb:
have + past participle
has + past participle

The past participle of a regular verb usually ends in -ed, just like the simple past tense. But the past participles of irregular verbs don’t follow this rule.

THE PRESENT PERFECT IS USED TO DESCRIBE

ACTIONS STARTED IN THE PAST AND CONTINUING IN THE PRESENT

They haven't lived here for years.
She has worked in the bank for five years.
We have had the same car for ten years.
Have you played the piano since you were a child?

WHEN THE TIME PERIOD REFERRED TO HAS NOT FINISHED

I have worked hard this week.
It has rained a lot this year.
We haven't seen her today.

ACTIONS REPEATED IN AN UNSPECIFIED PERIOD BETWEEN THE PAST AND NOW.

They have seen that film six times
It has happened several times already.
She has visited them frequently.
We have eaten at that restaurant many times.

ACTIONS COMPLETED IN THE VERY RECENT PAST (+JUST)

Have you just finished work?
I have just eaten.
We have just seen her.
Has he just left?

WHEN THE PRECISE TIME OF THE ACTION IS NOT IMPORTANT OR NOT KNOWN

Someone has eaten my soup!
Have you seen 'Gone with the Wind'?
She's studied Japanese, Russian, and English.

Negative & Questions

Affirmative                                  Negative                            Interrogative
I have walked                             I haven't walked                 Have I walked?
You have walked                 You haven't walked.          Have you walked?
He, she, it has walked         He, she, hasn't walked        Has he, she, it walked?

PRESENT PERFECT WITH FOR AND SINCE

Using the present perfect, we can define a period of time before now by considering its duration, with for + a period of time, or by considering its starting point, with since + a point in time. FOR and SINCE can also both be used with the past perfect. SINCE can only be used with perfect tenses. FOR can also be used with the simple past.

FOR + A PERIOD OF TIME

for six years, for a week, for a month, for hours, for two hours
I have worked here for five years.

SINCE + A POINT IN TIME

since this morning, since last week, since yesterday
since I was a child, since Wednesday, since 2 o'clock
I have worked here since 1990.

PRESENT PERFECT WITH FOR

She has lived here for twenty years.
We have taught at this school for a long time.
Alice has been married forthree months.
They have been at the hotel for a week.

PRESENT PERFECT WITH SINCE

She has lived here since 1980.
We have taught at this school since 1965.
Alice has been married since March 2nd.
They have been at the hotel since last Tuesday.

PRESENT PERFECT + EVER, NEVER, ALREADY, YET

EVER
The adverbs ever and never express the idea of an unidentified time before now(Have you ever visited Berlin?)'Ever' and 'never' are always placed before the main verb (past participle). Ever is used:

IN QUESTIONS

EXAMPLES

Have you ever been to England?
Has she ever met the Prime Minister?
IN NEGATIVE QUESTIONS

EXAMPLES

Haven't they ever been to Europe?
Haven't you ever eaten Chinese food?
IN NEGATIVE STATEMENTS USING THE PATTERN NOTHING+EVER OR NOBODY+EVER

EXAMPLES

Nobody has ever said that to me before.
Nothing like this has ever happened to us.
WITH 'THE FIRST TIME'

EXAMPLES

It's the first time that I've ever eaten snails.
This is the first time I've ever been to England.
NEVER
Never means at no time before now, and is the same as not ..... ever: (I have never visited Berlin)

BE CAREFUL!You must not use never and not together
I haven't never been to Italy.
I have never been to Italy.

ALREADY
Already refers to an action that has happened at an unspecified time before now. It suggests that there is no need for repetition.

EXAMPLES

I've already drunk three coffees this morning. (= and you're offering me another one!)
Don't write to John, I've already done it.

It is also used in questions:

Have you already written to John?
Has she finished her homework already?

Already can be placed before the main verb (past participle) or at the end of the sentence:

I have already been to Tokyo.
I have been to Tokyo already.

YET
Yet is used in negative statements and questions, to mean (not) in the period of time between before now and now, (not) up to and including the present. Yet is usually placed at the end of the sentence.

EXAMPLES

Have you met Judy yet?
I haven't visited the Tate Gallery yet
Has he arrived yet?
They haven't eaten yet




Been and Gone

In this tense, we use both 'been' and 'gone' as the past participle of 'go', but in slightly different circumstances. We use 'been' (often when we talk about life experience) to mean that the person we're talking about visited the place and came back.
I've been to Paris (in my life, but now I'm in London, where I live).
She has been to school today (but now she's back at home).
They have never been to California.

We use 'gone' (often when we are talking about an action with a result in the present) to mean that the person went to the place and is at the place now.
Where's John? He's gone to the shops (he's at the shops now).
Julie has gone to Mexico (now she's in Mexico).
They've gone to Japan for three weeks (now they're in Japan).