The present perfect tense is a verb form used to connect past actions or states to the present, often emphasizing their relevance or consequences. It is structured as have/has + the past participle of the main verb. For example: "She has visited Paris three times," or "They have finished the project ahead of schedule." In these sentences, has visited and have finished are present perfect verbs, linking past actions to current experiences or outcomes.
The present perfect is categorized into affirmative ("I have eaten"), negative ("I have not eaten"), and interrogative ("Have you eaten?"). These forms differ in purpose: affirmatives state completed actions with present relevance, negatives deny such actions, and interrogatives ask about them. Additionally, it is divided into experiential (actions done at an unspecified time: "I have read that book"), resultative (actions affecting the present: "He has lost his keys"), and continuative (actions starting in the past and continuing: "We have lived here since 2010").
Below are some most frequent used English present perfect verbs.
Have eaten (to consume food)
Has written (to create text)
Have seen (to perceive visually)
Has gone (to move from a place)
Have spoken (to communicate verbally)
Has taken (to carry or acquire)
Have begun (to start)
Has broken (to damage)
Have forgotten (to fail to remember)
Has chosen (to select)
In formal contexts, present perfect verbs like has concluded ("The committee has concluded its investigation") or have implemented ("We have implemented new policies") are common. Informal usage often includes contractions, such as 've finished ("I 've finished my homework") or hasn't seen ("She hasn't seen the movie"). Regional variations exist: British English uses have got ("I have got a cold"), while American English may use have ("I have a cold") or have gotten ("I have gotten a new car"), with subtle differences in meaning (possession vs. acquisition).
The present perfect is appropriate for actions with present relevance ("I have lost my phone - can you call it?"), life experiences ("She has traveled to 20 countries"), or recent events ("They have just arrived"). It also describes ongoing actions from the past to now ("We have known each other for years"). For example: "He has worked here since 2015," "I have never tried sushi," or "The team has improved significantly."
Misusing the tense can confuse timelines. Saying "I have seen him yesterday" instead of "I saw him yesterday" incorrectly combines present perfect with a specific past time. Avoid using it for completed actions with no present connection ("Shakespeare has written plays" is wrong; use "wrote"). Overusing it for definite past events ("They have won the game last week" -> "They won") also creates ambiguity.
English has thousands of present perfect verbs, combining have/has with regular (-ed) and irregular past participles (eaten, written). Categories range from simple (have worked) to complex irregular forms (have swum, have borne). Self-assessment methods include converting sentences to present perfect ("She eats -> She has eaten"), identifying errors ("They has gone -> have gone"), or writing paragraphs about recent experiences ("I have read three books this month"). Peer-reviewed exercises, such as explaining why "He has went home" is incorrect (-> "He has gone"), and creating timelines to connect past actions to the present also test proficiency.
One simple way to check your current knowledge level of present perfect is by testing your skills. Try out to guess what are the expressions on the sentences gaps below:
1. She ______ (finish) her homework.
2. They ______ (eat) all the cookies.
3. I ______ (visit) London twice.
4. He ______ (not/see) the new movie yet.
5. We ______ (live) here since 2020.
6. The team ______ (win) five games this season.
7. The documents ______ (lose) during the move.
8. She ______ (write) three novels so far.
9. The policy ______ (undergo) significant changes.
Sentences from 1 to 3 uses beginner level present perfect. Their answers are: 1. has finished | 2. have eaten | 3. have visited. Sentences 4 to 6 are intermediate level, their answers are: 4. hasn't seen | 5. have lived | 6. has won. Sentence 7 to 9 are advanced level, their answers are: 7. have been lost | 8. has written | 9. has undergone. Check how much you guessed right on each level and you will have a clue on how much you know and which is your current knowledge level on present perfect. Of course this is a very simple test and it is very high biased. You should take a longer test, using a wide range of present perfect verbs to have a more accurate score.
Improvement strategies include reading news articles to identify present perfect usage ("The government has announced new reforms"), writing journals about recent experiences ("I have started a new hobby"), and practicing irregular past participles with flashcards (go -> gone, write -> written). Role-playing scenarios ("What have you done today?") enhances conversational skills. Grammar workbooks with sentence-rephrasing exercises ("Change 'She ate' to present perfect: She has eaten"), group discussions about life achievements ("What have you accomplished?"), and self-created quizzes ("Convert these sentences") reinforce understanding. Peer feedback on written work and recording oral summaries of recent events ("I have learned...") also solidify mastery.
You could learn them by listening to podcasts, watching videos on youtube or reading online news focused on the audience you are looking to be part of. Focusing situations and audience will shrink the amount of common used present perfect verbs you have to learn at the beginning of your learning journey. Don't be afraid on not kowing all of things you hear or read. Don't be afraid to ask or search online the meaning of new expressions. Ask natives: Clarify new words you hear in conversations. Stay curious: Note down unfamiliar words in a "expression diary." Finally, embrace mistakes: Misusing it can become a funny learning moment!"
Learninn is a great way to get in touch with English present perfect. Articles and videos hosted on our platform include most common present perfect, if not all existent ones. Every content consumed on our platform is recorded and used in the future for your learning.
Author
Martin Cross is an intermediate level tutor. He enjoys speaking English in a casual style.
The simple present tense is a verb form used to describe habitual actions, general truths, or unchanging situations. It typically uses the base form of the verb, with an -s or -es added for third-person singular subjects. For example: "She walks to school every day," or "Water boils at 100ºC." In these sentences, walks and boils are simple present verbs, highlighting routines or scientific facts.
Read MoreThe present continuous tense is a verb form used to describe actions happening at the moment of speaking, temporary situations, or future plans. It is structured as am/is/are + the present participle (-ing form) of the main verb. For example: "She is reading a book right now," or "They are traveling to Japan next week." In these sentences, is reading and are traveling are present continuous verbs, emphasizing ongoing or planned actions.
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