Practice
Present perfect tense: forms and examples
At 8:45, Hana says, ‘I have sent the report.’ The sending happened earlier, but the report is ready now. That present result is the reason she chooses have sent instead of sent.
Form the present perfect accurately and choose it when a past action has a useful connection to the present.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
have finished /hæv ˈfɪnɪʃt/
The short answer
Use the present perfect when the past action matters now, when the time is unfinished, or when you do not say exactly when the action happened. Make it with have or has plus a past participle: We have arrived; Leo has arrived.
The guests have arrived, so we can serve dinner.
Why it works: Their arrival happened a moment ago, and it changes what can happen now.
5 more examples
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I have misplaced my keys, so I cannot lock the door.
The lost keys create a problem in the present.
Not this:I
misplacedmy keys yesterday, but I found them this morning. What changes: Yesterday is a finished time, so the simple past is used. -
Mina has visited that gallery three times.
The sentence reports Mina's experience up to now without giving a finished date.
Not this:Mina
visitedthat gallery during her trip in May. What changes: The trip in May is a completed time period. -
Our team has completed the first stage of the project.
Finishing the first stage affects the team's present progress.
Not this:Our team
completedthe first stage last month. What changes: Last month makes the past time explicit and finished. -
They have worked from home since January.
The situation started in January and continues to the present.
Not this:They
workedfrom home during the winter closure. What changes: The closure is presented as a completed past period. -
This week, the river has risen by thirty centimeters.
This week is still in progress, and the change is relevant now.
Not this:Last week, the river
roseafter the storm. What changes: Last week is finished, so the simple past is natural.
Read the full guide
Before choosing a tense, ask two questions. Does the sentence point to a completed time such as yesterday, in 2023, or last Friday? If it does, choose the simple past. If the time is open or unfinished and the action has a result now, the present perfect may be the better choice. Then check the form: have with I, you, we, and they; has with he, she, and it.
Build the form: have or has plus a past participle
Use have with I, you, we, and they. Use has with he, she, and it. The next verb is a past participle, not a simple past form: have written, has gone, have worked.
She has written a clear reply.
Has agrees with she, and written is the participle of write.
Complete the form: They ___ seen the new schedule.
Use have: They have seen the new schedule.
Choose it for a present result
A completed action often has an effect you can see or use now. The action is earlier, but the result is current. This is one of the clearest reasons to use present perfect.
The mechanic has fixed the brakes, so the car is safe to drive.
The repair happened earlier; the car's condition matters now.
Choose the better form for a current result: I ___ my wallet, so I cannot pay.
Use have lost: I have lost my wallet, so I cannot pay.
Use it for experience without a finished date
When you describe something in a person's experience up to now, you can use present perfect if you do not name a completed time. Questions with ever and answers with never often use this pattern.
Have you ever tried climbing indoors?
The question asks about any time in the listener's life up to now.
Complete the sentence: Omar ___ never flown in a small plane.
Use has: Omar has never flown in a small plane.
Use for and since for situations that continue
For names a length of time; since names a starting point. Present perfect can show that a state or repeated activity began before now and is still true. Use present perfect continuous when the ongoing activity itself needs emphasis.
I have known Priya for ten years.
The relationship began earlier and continues at the present time.
Complete the sentence: We ___ used this route since April.
Use have: We have used this route since April.
Keep finished past times with the simple past
Yesterday, last year, in 2019, and ago usually close the time period. When one of these expressions matters, use simple past instead of present perfect. This choice makes the sentence's time reference precise.
The concert ended at eleven last night.
Last night is finished, so ended is a simple past form.
Choose the tense: I ___ the invoice two days ago.
Use paid: I paid the invoice two days ago.
Before you go
Remember this
Build the present perfect with have or has plus a past participle. Use it for a past action that matters now, an experience without a finished date, a continuing situation, or an unfinished time period. Use simple past when the sentence names a completed past time.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Present perfect tense: forms and examples"
What is the present perfect tense?
The present perfect is a verb form made with have or has plus a past participle. It links a past action, experience, or change to the present instead of placing it at one finished past time.
I have misplaced my keys, so I cannot lock the door.
When do I use have and when do I use has?
Use have with I, you, we, and they. Use has with he, she, it, and singular nouns. Both forms need a past participle after them, such as have worked or has written.
I misplaced my keys yesterday, but I found them this morning.
Can I use present perfect with yesterday?
Not in standard English when yesterday is the stated time. Yesterday is complete, so simple past is expected: I called yesterday. Use present perfect when the time is open or the action has a present connection.
Mina has visited that gallery three times.
What is the difference between present perfect and simple past?
Simple past locates an action in a completed past time, often with words such as last week or ago. Present perfect focuses on a result, experience, or continuing situation that relates to now.
Mina visited that gallery during her trip in May.
Do for and since always need present perfect?
They often appear with present perfect when a situation began in the past and continues now. For gives a duration and since gives a starting point, but other tenses are possible when the meaning or time frame changes.
Our team has completed the first stage of the project.