The present perfect tense is used to discuss past events or actions that affect the present, to discuss new changes or extra information, or for continuing situations. It’s a tense that links the past and present and can be used in many different ways.
Present perfect is often one of the hardest tenses for speakers to grasp because it doesn’t translate well into other languages.
This article will give you plenty of examples, explain how this tense is used and functions, and give you some useful time-saving flashcards to help you study.
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How Do I Form The Present Perfect?
Forming a present perfect sentence is pretty straightforward as the structure is simple- you take the present participle tense of the verb "to have," which is "to be," and add the past participle.
To be (present simple tense base verb) becomes been. (The past participle.) Here are some examples.
- I have been
- You have been
- She has been
- He has been
- We have been
- They have been
- It has been
Note: The present participle of "have" changes depending on the subject, regardless of whether you’re forming an affirmative, negative, or interrogative sentence.
Flashcards
Flip the ESL flashcards to see more.
What about irregular verbs in the present perfect tense?
How To Use Contractions
You can also use contractions to shorten sentences in informal writing and general speech. Avoid this when writing for school, elementary, or ESL projects, as it can make your work sound too informal.
- I’ve (I have)
- You’ve (You have)
- She’s (She has)
- He’s (He has)
- We’ve (We have)
- They’ve (They have)
Example sentences using "have" and "been"
- I have never been to the States.
- I haven't been to the States.
- I’ve been married for 2 years.
- We have been living in this house for a long time.
- They’ve visited France three times.
Flashcard Checkpoint
Flip the flashcard and reveal the contraction to test your understanding.
How to Form The Present Perfect Affirmative
We use the present perfect affirmative to confirm that completed actions that have happened in the past still affect the present and are connected to the present situation.
Like most verb tenses, we can add adverbs of time to modify the sentence.
- Still
- Yet
- Already
- Just
Structure of Present Perfect Affirmative
We use the following structure when forming a sentence using the present perfect and an adverb of time:
Subject + have/has + adverb of time + past participle verb + any extra information.
Example Sentences
- She has worked on a crucial presentation this afternoon.
- I have attempted it so many times.
- They have just been born.
- You’ve already eaten one.
How to Form The Present Perfect Negative
The present perfect is also used negatively. Instead of just using ‘to have, or has,’ we add -not.
- I have not, or I haven’t
- She has not, or she hasn’t
- He has not, or he hasn’t
- And so on.
Structure of Present Perfect Negative
In English, we form the structure of the present perfect negative, like the following.
Subject + have/has + -not + past participle verb + any extra information.
Example Sentences
- We haven’t finished our homework.
- They still haven’t finished their homework.
- We haven’t finished our homework yet.
- I still haven’t tried ramen.
- She hasn’t worked on her important presentation yet.
How to Form The Present Perfect Interrogative
Interrogative sentences are questions where we gain extra information from asking them. They can be positive or negative.
Structure of Present Perfect Interrogative
The structure changes ever so slightly, like with the following.
Have/has + subject + past participle + extra information +?
Example Sentences
- Have you been to Europe?
- What have you done?
- Has she finished her job yet?
- Has she started her presentation?
Or in the negative interrogative.
Have/has + -not + subject + past participle + extra information +?
- Haven’t you been to Europe yet?
- Hasn’t she finished her job?
- Hasn’t she found her keys yet?
Flashcard Checkpoint
Flip the flashcard and reveal the example sentences to test your understanding. Once you're done, head to the present perfect tense quiz and test out your knowledge!
Present Perfect Checkpoint Quiz - ESL and Elementary
Read the following questions about the present perfect tense and test out what you've learned. Got a question wrong? Don't worry. Press reset and try again.
Which of the following sentences is an example of the present perfect tense?
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Which of the following sentences is an example of the present perfect tense in affirmative?
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Which of the following sentences is an example of the present perfect tense in negative?
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Which of the following sentences is an example of the present perfect tense in affirmative interrogative?
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Which of the following sentences is an example of the present perfect tense in negative interrogative?
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Active Voice vs. Passive Voice
The present perfect tense can be used in the active or passive voice, depending on what you want to say.
- The active voice is used in the present perfect tense to indicate when something has finished. The focus is always on the subject that has completed the action.
- The passive voice is used for the same purpose, to indicate something is finished, but the subject of that action isn’t necessary; the focus is placed more on the action itself and the result.
Check out our article on Active vs. Passive Voice to learn more about how to use the passive and active voice, and as always, for more tips and tricks, take a look at other grammar articles on our site.