Are you wondering about how to use the Present perfect tense in English?
Present perfect tense describes actions or events that started but were not completed in the past. Instead the action is still continued in the present time. For instance, if you are sitting in the doctor’s office and waiting for your turn to see the doctor, you will say that ” I have waited for two hours. You can not say that I waited for two hours before seeing the doctor.
In this article, you will learn what the present perfect tense in English, how to construct sentences using present perfect, and some example sentence to help you understand this tense in Englis lanuage.
The present perfect is a verb tense that describes actions that started in the past but continued in the present. There must be a relation between the past and the present in order to use the present perfect tense. If the action finishes in the past, then we simply use the past tense instead of the present perfect tense.
How to identify the present perfect tense
Present perfect tense sentences always use the auxiliary verb has/have with the past participle (third form of the verb).
- He has finsihed his assignment.
- They have cleaned the yard.
- She has cooked food.
- We have won the match.
For example:
- He has finished his job.
- She has cooked food.
- They have won the match.
- You have completed your test.
- We have played cricket.
- I have eaten food.
How to Identify Present Perfect Tense
In present perfect tense, we use auxiliary verb has or have with past participle. For pronouns (he, she, it, or singular noun) we use has + past participle. For other pronouns like I, We, They, or plural nouns, we use have + past participle.
- He has gone.
- She has slept.
- It has worked.
- Aslam has left.
With I, We, You, They, or Plural Nouns;
- I have eaten food.
- We have won the game.
- You have completed assingment.
- They have worked.
- Children have played outside.
How to Make Present Perfect Tense
To make sentences using the present perfect tense, we use auxiliary verbs has or have + Past Participle (third form of the verb).
What is a past participle?
The past participle is the third form of the verb, which is formed by adding—d or -ed at the end of the base verb. However, irregular verbs don’t follow the same rule of adding—d or -ed. Therefore, past participle forms of irregular verbs could differ from regular ones.
Structural Formula of Present Perfect Tense
The basic formula of present perfect tense that we use to construct sentence is:
Subject + has/have + past participle
if there is object who is receiving the action in the sentence then the formula would be:
Subject + has/have+past participle +Object.
Subject + Has/Have + Past Participle + Object
For example:
- has/have + finished.
- has/have + admitted.
- has/have + begun.
- has/have + worked.
When to Use has or have in Present Perfect Tense
- How do you know when to use has or have in the sentence? The simple answer is that we use has with
with First person pronouns
- I have eaten breakfast.
- We have won the match.
Second person pronouns
- You have played very well.
Third person pronouns
- He has gone.
- She has slept.
- It has worked.
Singular nouns
Ahmad has finished his work.
Alia has gone to the store for shopping.
Plural nouns
They have finished their assignment.
Many candidates have applied for the job.
Positive sentences in present perfect tense
Positive sentences in the present perfect tense start with the subject, followed by has/have and the past participle form of the verb.
in positive sentences, we use has or have with the main verb, which is the past participle.
The sentence structure would look like this
Subject + has/have + past participle + Object.
Subject + has/have + past participle
Examples:
- He has played tennis.
- He has eaten food.
- He has finished his work.
- He has applied for the job.
- He has mowed his lawn.
- He has written a book.
- He has taken a shower.
Negative sentence in present perfect tense
To make negative sentences in the present perfect tense, we use not with has/have.
the negative sentences of present perfect tense contains has not or have not. the formula for negative sentence is:
Subject + has/have not + past participle + object.
Subject + has/have + not + past participle
Examples
- He has not completed his work.
- He has not cooked dinner yet.
- He has visited Paris many times.
Question sentences in present perfect tense
The question sentences of present perfect tense starts with has/have followed by subject + past participle.
Has/Have + Subject + Past Participle
Examples:
- Has he completed his job?
- Have we visited them every year?
- Have they performed their activity?
- Have you visited your parent each year?
How to Make WH questions in Present Perfect Tense
WH word like What, Where, When, who, or why comes at then beginning of the sentence followed by has or have. At then end of the sentence, we use question mark.
For examples
- Where have you worked before joining this company?
- When have you called her?
- Why has he left before starting meeting?
Use of Adverbs in Present Perfect Tense
Adverbs can be used in present perfect tenses like other tenses. As you know, an adverb is a word in English that adds more detail to a sentence by modifying the meaning of the main verb.
For example:
- The party has already finished.
- The students have
- Guests have already arrived.
- The party has already started.
- The food has slowly cooked.
- He has gradually climbed the hill.
Most of the time, we place adverbs in between auxiliary verbs and past participles. but this is not the case with some adverbs like yet or still.
Look at the following sentence:
- I have just finished my work.
- I have not finished my work yet.
Yet is placed at the end of the sentence, and that is the correct use of yet in the sentence. As you know, yet is used in negative and question sentences. for examples
- Have you finished your work yet?
- She has not cooked yet.
Passive Form of Present Perfect Tense
While using present perfect in its passive form, we use been with auxiliary verbs has and have. The structure of the sentence would be;
Subject + has been/have been + Past participle.
Present perfect tens is also used to make passive sentences. When we use passive form of this tense, we add has/have been with past participle.
For example:
- Where have you been?
- The work has been finished on time.
- The students have been enrolled in the class.
For example:
- The work has been finished.
- The class has been closed.
- The food has been cooked.
Present Perfect Vs. Past Simple
Present perfect tense is used when an action starts in the Past and continues in the present. Always use present perfect tense when the action relates to both past and present time. If there is no relation between past time and the present time in which the action is being performed, then simply use past simple.
For example;
- He has worked at the post office for ten years.
- Kids have taken naps before going to school.
- She has cooked food before going to bed.
Conversely, Past Simple is used when an action started in the Past and finished in that Past. In other words, an action in past tense does not have any relation with the present. if the action started in the past and end in the past and did not continue in the present. thens past simple is the right tense to describe the action. let take a look at the above three examples again.
For example;
- He worked at the post office for 10 years.
- Kids took a nap and went to school.
- She cooked food and slept.
Present Perfect Vs. Present Perfect Continous
Present perfect tense
- He has played cricket since high school.
- I have played cricket my whole life.
- I have lived here for 10 years.
Present perfect continuous tense.
- He has been playing cricket since high school.
- I have been playing cricket for my whole life.
- I have been living here for 10 years.
When to use the present perfect tense
Present perfect tense is used when an action started in the past and ended in the present. For instance, she has cooked food. It means that she started cooking in the recent past and has finished in the present.
6 Examples of when to use the present perfect tense
1. An ongoing action that started in the past, but has not yet been complete.
- The professor has taught here for two decades.
- They have played piano since the age of three.
2. A series of the same action completed multiple times in the past, likely to happen again in the future.
- I ‘ve seen the movie six times! [probably will see it again]
- I saw the movie six times! [probably will not see it again]
3. An action that was completed very recently (often used with Just or now)
- I shouldn’t eat anymore because I‘ve just brushed my teeth.
- We‘ve finished practice now, so let’s go home.
4. A change over time
- My cousin has grown so much since I saw her two years ago.
- Thanks to the many months of playing, I have become an expert at Wordle.
5. An uncompleted action that is expected to be finished (in the negative)
- The jury has not reached a verdict yet.
- I haven’t finished my paper, but it’s due in an hour!
6. To add significance to a completed action
- Macbeth has killed the king.
- I‘ve met the love of my life!
When to not use Present Perfect Tense
The present perfect tense is not used when the time is specified for an action.
We do not use present perfect tense if the time is specifically mentioned in the sentence.
Present perfect tense is perfectly fine to use when the action relates back to the past and present. However, if you are describing something with a specific time, date, or day, use simple past tense instead of present perfect tense. Consider the following examples to see the difference.
- I have finished my work on Tuesday. [incorrectuse of present perfect tense]
- I finished my work on Tuesday. [correct]
This first example shows an action that was started in the past and finished in the past. so we will not use the present perfect tense. Instead, we must describe that action using the past simple tense.
For example;
- I have worked on Tuesday.
- We have won the match last Sunday.
- He has finished his work.
The correct way to say these sentences would be;
- I worked on Tuesday.
- We won the match last Sunday.
- He finished his work.
This might be confusing, however, because you can use the present perfect tense with a broad period. The present perfect tense is only incorrect if used at one specific time. Using the present perfect tense with a general time range is perfectly acceptable.
- I have gone for a walk every Tuesday this year.
Final Thoughts
What is present perfect tense in English grammar?
The present perfect tense is a verb tense that is used to describe an action that started in the past and continued in the present.
How to identify the present perfect tense?
How to make present perfect tense?
How use present perfect tense in passive form?
Present perfect vs. past simple
Present perfect vs present continuous continuous
how to use adverbs in present perfect tense
When to use present prefect tnese?
When to avoid use of present perfect tense
To make sentences in this tense, we use has or have with the third form of the verb (past participle).
The key difference between present perfect and past simple is that action starts in the past and ends in the past in the past simple. However, if an action started in the past and continued in the present, then we must use the present perfect tense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the present perfect tense.
What is the present perfect tense?
The present perfect tense is an English verb tense used to describe a past action that is related to the present.
How does the present perfect tense work?
The present perfect tense usees the auxiliary verb has or have and the past participle form of the main verb. For example, if you want to use go in the present perfect tense, you say, “I have gone.”
When is the present perfect used?
The present perfect tense is commonly used with events that started in the past and continue into the present. However, it has a few other uses too, including events that happened very recently in the past.
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