The present perfect is the tense English uses when the time of a past action is not important, or when the past still matters now. That is why it often feels strange to learners: many languages use a simple past or a present tense in the same situations.
A useful question is: "Am I talking about a finished time, or about my life up to now?" If you name a finished time (yesterday, in 2015, two days ago), use the past simple. If the time is unfinished or not mentioned, the present perfect is usually the right choice.
How to form the present perfect
Use have with I, you, we and they. Use has with he, she and it. Then add the past participle (the third form of the verb).
| Type | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | subject + have/has + past participle | I have finished my homework. She has finished her homework. |
| Negative | subject + have/has + not + past participle | They haven't called yet. He hasn't called yet. |
| Question | Have/Has + subject + past participle? | Have you ever been to Japan? Has it stopped raining? |
| Short answers | Yes, subject + have/has. / No, subject + haven't/hasn't. | Yes, I have. No, she hasn't. |
- Contractions: I've, you've, we've, they've, he's, she's, it's; haven't, hasn't.
- He's can mean he is or he has. Look at the next word: he's gone = he has gone; he's going = he is going.
- Regular past participles end in -ed (work → worked, play → played). Irregular verbs have their own forms: go → gone, see → seen, write → written, eat → eaten.
When to use the present perfect
1. Life experiences (no specific time)
Talk about things that have or have not happened at any time in your life up to now. The exact time is not important, so you do not say it.
- I have read this book twice.
- Have you ever tried Turkish coffee?
- She has never seen snow.
2. A past action with a result now
The action is finished, but we are interested in the situation it created in the present.
- I've lost my keys, so I can't get into the house.
- He has broken his leg. He can't play on Saturday.
- The price of bread has gone up.
3. Situations that started in the past and continue (for / since)
Use for with a length of time and since with the point when the situation started. The situation is still true now.
- We have lived in Istanbul for ten years.
- I've known Ana since 2015.
- How long have you had this car?
4. Recent actions and news (just, already, yet)
Use just for something that happened a very short time ago, already for something that happened sooner than expected, and yet in questions and negatives for something we expect to happen.
- The train has just left.
- I've already eaten, thanks.
- Have you finished your report yet? No, I haven't finished it yet.
5. Unfinished time periods (today, this week, this year)
When the period of time is not over, the present perfect shows that more can still happen.
- I've drunk three cups of coffee today.
- We haven't had a holiday this year.
- She has called me twice this morning. (It is still morning.)
Words that often go with the present perfect
- ever
- never
- just
- already
- yet
- for
- since
- so far
- recently
- lately
- before
- today
- this week
- how long
These words are clues, not rules. For example, "this morning" takes the past simple in the afternoon, because the morning is finished.
Examples
Positive
- I have visited Berlin three times.
- She has worked here since March.
- We've just bought a new sofa.
- They have already seen the movie.
Negative
- I haven't finished the book yet.
- He has never driven a car.
- We haven't seen each other for years.
- It hasn't rained this month.
Questions
- Have you ever been to Japan?
- How long has she lived in Paris?
- Has the meeting started yet?
- What have you done to your hair?
Present perfect or past simple?
Both tenses talk about the past. The past simple is about a finished time. The present perfect is about the time up to now. If you say when something happened, you almost always need the past simple.
| Present perfect | Past simple |
|---|---|
| I have visited Paris. (an experience; when is not important) | I visited Paris in 2019. (a finished time) |
| She has lost her phone. (it is still lost) | She lost her phone yesterday, but she found it. (only the past event) |
| I've worked here for five years. (I still work here) | I worked there for five years. (I don't work there now) |
| Have you seen my keys? (I need them now) | Did you see the match last night? (a finished event) |
Common mistakes
- WrongI have seen him yesterday.RightI saw him yesterday.
Yesterday is a finished time, so use the past simple.
- WrongI live here since 2020.RightI have lived here since 2020.
The situation started in the past and continues now, so English needs the present perfect, not the present simple.
- WrongShe has went home.RightShe has gone home.
After have/has, use the past participle (gone), not the past simple (went).
- WrongI have been in London for 2010.RightI have been in London since 2010.
Use since with a starting point (2010, Monday, I was a child) and for with a length of time (ten years, a week).
- WrongI've finished the report two hours ago.RightI finished the report two hours ago.
Ago points to a finished time, so use the past simple.
- WrongHe hasn't came yet.RightHe hasn't come yet.
The past participle of come is come, not came.
A new city
Examples of the present perfect are highlighted.
Maya has lived in Lisbon for six months. She has found a small apartment near the river, and she has already made a few friends at work. She hasn't learned much Portuguese yet, but she has started evening classes. Her mother has visited her twice; the last time, they took a boat trip along the coast. Now Maya's old company has offered her a better job back home, and she hasn't answered yet. She has never been so busy, and she has never felt so free. Have you ever had to choose between two places you love?
Present Perfect quiz
8 questions. Choose an answer to see if it is right and why.
Read texts that use the present perfect
Grammar sticks when you meet it again in real reading. These graded texts use this structure; each one has key words, audio and questions.
Present Perfect: questions and answers
What is the present perfect tense?
The present perfect is formed with have or has and the past participle (I have finished, she has gone). It links a past action or situation to the present: life experiences, past actions with a result now, and situations that started in the past and are still true.
When do I use the present perfect instead of the past simple?
Use the past simple when you say or think of a finished time (yesterday, in 2019, two days ago). Use the present perfect when the time is not mentioned, not important or not finished (ever, never, today, this year, for ten years, since Monday).
What is the difference between for and since?
For is followed by a length of time (for three days, for a long time). Since is followed by the point when something started (since Monday, since 2015, since I was a child).
What is the difference between "has gone" and "has been"?
"She has gone to Spain" means she went and is still there or on the way. "She has been to Spain" means she went at some time and came back; it describes an experience.
Do Americans use the present perfect the same way?
Mostly, yes. The main difference is with just, already and yet: in American English, especially in speech, the past simple is common too (Did you eat yet? I already ate). In British English the present perfect is more usual (Have you eaten yet?). Both are correct in their variety.