Using The Present Perfect Tense ESL Rules and Examples

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.

Are you ready?

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?