What is the present perfect?

The present perfect connects the past with the present. It is used for life experiences and recent events with present results.

Life experience

I have visited Paris. (at some time in my life)

Recent event

She has just arrived.

Result still present

I have lost my keys. (I don't have them now)

Form: have/has + past participle

subject + have/has + past participle

I / you / we / they

I have visited. They have eaten.

he / she / it

She has worked. It has finished.

Contractions

I've seen it. She's arrived.

Negative

I haven't visited. She hasn't arrived.

Question

Have you ever been to Italy?

Past participles — regular and irregular

Regular verbs → -ed

work → worked · visit → visited · live → lived

Common irregulars

go → gone · see → seen · eat → eaten · do → done

More irregulars

have → had · take → taken · break → broken · come → come

be → past simple was/were · past participle been. "I have been to Paris" (visited) vs "I have gone to Paris" (still there).

Common time words

ever / never

Have you ever tried sushi? · I have never been to China.

just

She has just left.

already

I have already eaten.

yet (negatives + questions)

Have you finished yet? · I haven't started yet.

for / since

I've lived here for two years. · since 2020.

Present perfect vs past simple

Present perfect

I have visited Paris.

no time given — life experience

She has just arrived.

Past simple

I visited Paris last year.

specific past time

She arrived at 8pm.

If you say when (yesterday, in 2020, last week) → past simple. If the time is general or recent → present perfect.

Common mistakes

I have seen him yesterday.

→

I saw him yesterday.

"yesterday" = finished time → past simple

She has went home.

→

She has gone home.

go → gone (past participle, not went)

I have eat sushi.

→

I have eaten sushi.

past participle: eaten (not eat)

Did you ever been to Italy?

→

Have you ever been to Italy?

life experience → have you ever + PP

Your turn

Answer out loud — full sentences

Talk about experiences with have / has + past participle.

Have you ever been to another country?

What have you never done but want to do?

What have you done today?

Ask your teacher three Have you ever…? questions.

Recap

Form

have/has + past participle

I have visited / she has eaten

Use

life experience · recent event · present result

I have lost my keys

Time words

ever · never · just · already · yet · for · since

Have you ever been to...?

vs past simple

specific time? → past simple · general? → PP

I saw him yesterday / I have seen him

Practice now →

Present Perfect (intro)