Everything you need to use the present perfect correctly: the formula, when to use it, signal words, common mistakes and exercises with answers.
Past actions that matter to the present. Affirmative: S + have/has + V3 (past participle); Negative: S + have/has + not + V3; Interrogative: Have/Has + S + V3? Signal words: ever, never, already, yet, just, since/for.
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | S + have/has + V3 (past participle) I/You/We/They + have | He/She/It + has | She has visited Paris twice. Past participle: regular verbs take -ed (visited), irregular ones have their own form (gone, seen, eaten) |
| Negative | S + have/has + not + V3 | I have not (haven't) finished yet. Contractions: have not = haven't, has not = hasn't |
| Interrogative | Have/Has + S + V3? | Have you ever been to Japan? Short answers: Yes, I have. / No, I haven't. |
Used for experiences at an unspecified time, often with 'ever' or 'never'.
Used for actions that have just happened, often with 'just', 'already' or 'yet'.
Used for actions within a period that has not ended (today, this week, this year).
| Word | Example | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ever | Have you ever been to Paris? | Only used in questions and negatives |
| never | I have never seen snow. | Already negative in meaning, so it is not used with 'not' |
| already | She has already eaten lunch. | Goes between have/has and the past participle |
| yet | I haven't finished yet. | Used in negatives and questions, at the end of the sentence |
| just | He has just arrived. | Goes between have/has and the past participle |
| since/for | I have lived here since 2010 / for 5 years. | 'since' + a starting point, 'for' + a length of time |
Fill in the blank, then open the answer to check it.
Options: has been · have been · is being · was
has been. "Three times" describes an experience with no specific time, so the present perfect, with "has" for she.
Options: haven't finish · haven't finished · haven't finishing
haven't finished. "Yet" in a negative sentence takes haven't + past participle, and "I" takes "have".
Options: has been building · has built · is building · will build
has built. "recently" connects something done to the present without specifying when, so this sentence uses the Present perfect tense. The formula is have/has + past participle. The subject "Anna" goes with "has" so the answer is "has built".
Options: fly · has flown · will fly · will have been flying
has flown. "Since 2010" connects something done with the present without specifying when, so this sentence uses the Present Perfect tense. The formula is have/has + past participle. The subject "Tom" goes with "has" so the answer is "has flown".
Options: has wished · will have wished · will wish · wished
has wished. "three times" connects what has been done to the present without specifying when, so this sentence uses the Present Perfect tense. The formula is have/has + past participle. The subject "My brother" goes with "has" so the answer is "has wished".
Options: had been smiling · have been smiling · have smiled · were smiling
have smiled. "so far" connects something done with the present without specifying when, so this sentence uses the Present perfect tense. The formula is have/has + past participle. The subject "The workers" goes with "have" so the answer is "have smiled".
Options: have been watching · have watched · is watching · watches
have watched. "recently" connects something done to the present without specifying when, so this sentence uses the Present perfect tense. The formula is have/has + past participle. The subject "The neighbors" goes with "have" so the answer is "have watched".
Options: has sat · have sat · sit · will be sitting
have sat. "Since 2010" connects something done with the present without specifying when, so this sentence uses the Present Perfect tense. The formula is have/has + past participle. The subject "My parents" goes with "have" so the answer is "have sat".
Options: has started · have started · is starting · started
have started. "three times" connects what has been done to the present without specifying when, so this sentence uses the Present Perfect tense. The formula is have/has + past participle. The subject "My friends" goes with "have" so the answer is "have begun".
Options: has broken · is breaking · will have been breaking · will have broken
has broken. "so far" connects something done with the present without specifying when, so this sentence uses the Present perfect tense. The formula is have/has + past participle. The subject "Tom" goes with "has" so the answer is "has broken".
Options: had been using · has used · used · will have used
has used. "recently" connects something done to the present without specifying when, so this sentence uses the Present perfect tense. The formula is have/has + past participle. The subject "My brother" goes with "has" so the answer is "has used".
Options: has run · have run · is running · will have been running
has run. "Since 2010" connects something done with the present without specifying when, so this sentence uses the Present Perfect tense. The formula is have/has + past participle. The subject "The teacher" goes with "has" so the answer is "has run".
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