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Unit 11
Present Perfect
have / has + past participle
What is the Present Perfect?
The Present Perfect connects the past to the present. We use it when the exact time is not mentioned or when a past action has a result or relevance now.
It is formed with have / has + past participle.
Form
| Type | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Subject + have/has + past participle | I have seen that film. |
| Negative | Subject + haven't/hasn't + past participle | She hasn't finished yet. |
| Question | Have/Has + subject + past participle? | Have you ever been to Japan? |
| Short answer | Yes/No + subject + have/has | Yes, I have. / No, she hasn't. |
Common Irregular Past Participles
| Base | Past simple | Past participle |
|---|---|---|
| go | went | gone |
| see | saw | seen |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| have | had | had |
| make | made | made |
| take | took | taken |
| write | wrote | written |
| know | knew | known |
| give | gave | given |
| do | did | done |
| be | was/were | been |
| buy | bought | bought |
Four Key Uses
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Life experience (no specific time) | I've visited Paris three times. |
| Recent action with present result | She's just left. (She is not here now.) |
| Unfinished situation (still ongoing) | I've lived here for ten years. |
| News / announcements | Scientists have discovered a new planet. |
Signal Words
| Adverb | Position | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| already | before past participle | Happened sooner than expected | I've already eaten. |
| yet | end of sentence | Questions & negatives | Have you finished yet? / Not yet. |
| just | before past participle | Very recently | She's just arrived. |
| ever | before past participle | Life experience questions | Have you ever tried sushi? |
| never | before past participle | Not at any time in life | I've never been to Australia. |
| for | before period of time | Duration from past to now | I've worked here for five years. |
| since | before point in time | Start point to now | She's lived here since 2019. |
Been or Gone?
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| have/has been to | went and came back (experience) | She's been to Paris twice. (She is home now.) |
| have/has gone to | went and is still there | She's gone to Paris. (She is in Paris now.) |
Asking "How long...?"
To ask about a situation that started in the past and continues now, use How long + have/has + subject + past participle?
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How long have you lived here? | I've lived here for six years. / since 2020. |
| How long has she known him? | She's known him since they were children. |
| How long have you had this car? | I've had it for about a year. |
Present Perfect vs Past Simple
This is one of the most important distinctions in English grammar.
| Present Perfect | Past Simple |
|---|---|
| No specific time given | Specific time given |
| I've seen that film. (sometime in my life) | I saw that film last week. |
| She's lost her keys. (result: can't get in now) | She lost her keys yesterday. |
| Have you ever been to Spain? | Did you go to Spain last summer? |
| I've lived here for ten years. (still living here) | I lived there for ten years. (no longer there) |
Annotated Examples
Subject
Verb
Auxiliary
Object
Adjective
Adverb
Preposition
Hover over any word to see its role.
subjectIauxiliaryhaveadverbneververbvisitedobjectNew York.
↳ Life experience — never at any time.
subjectSheauxiliaryhasadverbjustverbleftobjectthe office.
↳ Just = very recently — result: she's not here.
auxiliaryHavesubjectyouverbfinishedobjectyour homeworkadverbyet?
↳ Yet in a question about completion.
Common Mistakes
I have saw this film.
→
I have seen this film.
Past participle of "see" = seen, not saw.
She has went to the shops.
→
She has gone to the shops.
Past participle of "go" = gone, not went.
I have seen her yesterday.
→
I saw her yesterday.
"Yesterday" = specific time → use Past Simple.
Did you ever visit Rome?
→
Have you ever visited Rome?
"Ever" in life experience → Present Perfect.
I have already saw the film.
→
I have already seen the film.
Past participle, not past simple, after have.
She has been to the shop. (= she is there now)
→
She has gone to the shop.
Gone = still there. Been = went and came back.
I am here since Monday.
→
I have been here since Monday.
From the past until now → Present Perfect.