What Is the Present Perfect?
The present perfect says something happened, but not when. What matters is the result now.
It uses have / has + past participle. The past participle is the third form of a verb: go, went, gone.
EXPERIENCENo time given
I have seen this film.
RESULT NOWShe has no keys now
She has lost her keys.
PAST SIMPLEA time is given
I saw it last Saturday.
No time given → usually have / has + past participle. A finished time given → past simple.
TRY IT
- Question 1
"Oh no, I blank coffee on my laptop!"
The forms
POSITIVE
Shave / haspast participle
They have moved to a new flat.
I / you / we / they → have. He / she / it → has. Short: I've, she's.
NEGATIVE
Shaven't / hasn'tpast participle
He hasn't called me.
QUESTION
Have / HasSpast participle?
Has the film started? Yes, it has. / No, it hasn't.
PAST PARTICIPLES
- workworked
- gogone
- seeseen
- eateaten
- dodone
- bebeen
regular verbs: -ed, like the past form · irregular verbs: learn the third form
has gone, not has went · have eaten, not have ate.
TRY IT
- Question 1
"The kids have blank all the cake!"
When to use it
Experiences
My mum has visited Japan twice.
You can say how many times, but not when.
Often used with: once · twice · three times
A result you can see now
He has cut his finger.
His finger is bleeding now.
Common verbs: lost · broken · cut · finished
News
The price of petrol has gone up.
Give the news first. Add the details in the past simple.
Common phrases: has gone up · has opened · has won
Present Perfect or Past Simple?
| PRESENT PERFECT | PAST SIMPLE | |
|---|---|---|
| Time words | No finished time | yesterday · last week · in 2020 · two days ago |
| Example | Lan has passed her driving test. | Lan passed her driving test on Monday. |
| Questions with when | Not used | When did they get married? |
Talk often starts in the present perfect and moves to the past simple for details: I've met Minh's wife. Really? Where did you meet her?
She has been to Huế means she went and came back. She has gone to Huế means she went and is not back yet.
TRY IT
- Question 1
"I blank Mr Hùng two days ago."
Common mistakes
Incorrect:I have visited my grandma last weekend.
Correct:I visited my grandma last weekend.
Last weekend is a finished time. Use the past simple.
Incorrect:She has went to work.
Correct:She has gone to work.
After has, use the past participle: go, went, gone.
Incorrect:Has she wrote to you?
Correct:Has she written to you?
Questions need the past participle too: write, wrote, written.
Incorrect:When have you arrived?
Correct:When did you arrive?
When asks about a finished time. Use did.
Incorrect:My sister has been to Hà Nội. She's coming back next week.
Correct:My sister has gone to Hà Nội. She's coming back next week.
She is not back yet, so has gone.
Quick check · 5 questions
Choose the correct tense:
Khoa broke his arm last Friday.
- A. broke — Correct
- B. has broken
- C. has broke
Answer: A. broke
When you say when it happened, use the past simple: broke.
Choose the correct helper verb:
Our teacher has given us a lot of homework.
- A. has — Correct
- B. have
- C. is
Answer: A. has
Have is for I, you, we, they and plural nouns. One person uses has.
Choose the correct verb form:
I've done the dishes, so you can relax.
- A. done — Correct
- B. did
- C. do
Answer: A. done
Do, did, done. Did is the past form. After have, use done.
Choose the correct question:
Have you fed the cat?
- A. Have you fed the cat? — Correct
- B. Did you have fed the cat?
- C. Have you feed the cat?
Answer: A. Have you fed the cat?
The main verb stays a past participle: feed, fed, fed.
Dad is not at home. Choose the correct sentence:
Dad isn't here right now. He has gone to the post office, but he'll be back soon.
- A. has gone — Correct
- B. has been
Answer: A. has gone
Has been means he went and came back. That does not fit "he'll be back soon".
See whether it really stuck.
Start the quiz · 12 questions
