English grammar · Intermediate
Present Perfect Tense: Form, Uses, and Examples
The present perfect tense connects the past to the present. It is formed with have or has plus a past participle (I have finished, she has gone), and you use it for actions whose time is not stated or not finished: life experience, recent events with a present result, and situations that started in the past and continue now.
She has lived in Lisbon since 2019.
started in the past and still true now
What it is
The present perfect is a present tense about the past. The action happened before now, but the speaker's attention is on now: the experience someone has, the result that is still visible, the situation that is still going on. That is why it never appears with a finished-time expression like yesterday or in 2010; those words send the sentence to the past simple.
I have lost my keys. (The losing is over; the point is that I don't have them now.) I lost my keys yesterday. (A finished event at a finished time: past simple.)
How to spot it
Look for have or has followed by a past participle (worked, seen, gone, been). If the sentence also has since, for, yet, already, ever, never, just, or so far, the present perfect is almost certainly the right choice.
- Have you ever been to Japan? (life experience, any time up to now)
- I've just finished the report. (very recent event, result now)
- We've known each other for ten years. (started in the past, continuing)
- She hasn't called yet. (expected before now, not yet happened)
Have got (I've got two brothers) looks like a present perfect but is a present tense meaning have. Don't let it confuse the pattern.
Present Perfect Tense Quick Reference
The four uses of the present perfect
| Use | Example | Typical words |
|---|---|---|
| Life experience, time not stated | I have visited Rome twice. | ever, never, before, twice, several times |
| Recent event with a present result | He has broken his arm. | just, recently, already, yet |
| Unfinished time period | I've drunk three coffees today. | today, this week, this year, so far |
| Situation continuing from the past | They have lived here since 2015. | since, for, how long, all my life |
Common Present Perfect Tense Examples in English
Examples grouped by the four uses, so you can see what each sentence is doing rather than just how it is built:
Life Experience
- I've read that book three times.
- how many times so far in my life
- Have you ever eaten oysters?
- at any time in your life
- She has never flown.
- not once, up to now
- We've met before, haven't we?
- at some unspecified time
As soon as you say when, the tense changes: I read it last summer.
Recent Events with a Result Now
- Someone has taken my seat.
- the seat is occupied now
- I've just heard the news.
- moments ago, and I now know
- The train has left.
- it is not here any more
- Oh no, I've deleted the file.
- the file is gone now
American English often uses the past simple here: I just heard the news. Both are correct.
Unfinished Time Periods
- I haven't seen him this week.
- the week is not over
- She's been to the gym twice today.
- today continues
- We've had a lot of rain this year.
- the year is still running
- Have you spoken to Ana this morning?
- said while it is still morning
If the period is finished, switch tenses: Did you speak to Ana this morning? (said in the afternoon).
Continuing Situations
- I've worked here for six years.
- and I still work here
- He has been ill since Monday.
- and he is still ill
- How long have you known her?
- asking about a duration up to now
- They've owned that house all their lives.
- from birth to now
For gives the length of time (for six years); since gives the starting point (since 2019, since Monday).
How the Present Perfect Works
One auxiliary, one participle, and a firm rule about time expressions.
Have or Has Plus the Past Participle
The auxiliary agrees with the subject: has for he, she, and it, have for everything else. The past participle is the third form of the verb: worked for regular verbs, and an irregular form that has to be learned (seen, gone, written, taken) for irregular ones. The participle never changes.
She has written two novels. They have written one.
has and have change; written does not
have/has + third form.
Negatives and Questions Use the Auxiliary
Because have is already an auxiliary, you never add do. The negative puts not after have or has (haven't, hasn't in speech); the question moves have or has in front of the subject.
I haven't finished. Has she arrived?
no do or does anywhere
Not after have; have before the subject.
No Finished-Time Expressions
The present perfect refuses any word that places the action at a finished point in the past: yesterday, last week, in 2010, two hours ago, when I was a child. Those all force the past simple. Words that reach up to now are fine: today, this week, so far, recently, ever, since, for.
I've seen that film. I saw it last year.
no time given: present perfect; last year: past simple
Finished time = past simple.
Been vs. Gone
Go has two participles in this tense. Has gone means the person left and is still away; has been means the person went and has come back, or has the experience of having visited.
She's gone to Paris (she is there now). She's been to Paris (she went and came back).
gone: away; been: returned or experienced
Gone = still there. Been = came back.
For, Since, and How Long
To describe a situation that started in the past and continues, add for plus a length of time or since plus a starting point. The question form is how long. English uses the present perfect here where many languages use the present: I have lived here for ten years, not I live here for ten years.
We've lived here since 2016, so for about ten years.
since + start point, for + duration
Since a point, for a period.
Common Mistakes with Present Perfect Tense
Incorrect: I have seen him yesterday.
Correct: I saw him yesterday.
Yesterday is finished time, and the present perfect cannot combine with it. Any word that fixes the action at a completed point in the past takes the past simple.
Incorrect: I live here since 2015.
Correct: I have lived here since 2015.
A situation that began in the past and continues now takes the present perfect in English, not the present simple. Since and for with a present verb is one of the most common errors from speakers of European languages.
Incorrect: She has went home.
Correct: She has gone home.
Went is the past simple form; the present perfect needs the past participle, which for go is gone. Irregular verbs have to be learned with all three forms: go, went, gone.
Incorrect: Did you ever visit London?
Correct: Have you ever visited London?
Ever asks about someone's whole life up to now, which is present perfect territory. Did you ever is possible only when the period is closed: Did you ever visit London while you lived in England?
Present Perfect Forms
The full forms with the regular verb work and the irregular verb see. In speech the auxiliary contracts: I've, you've, she's, we've, they've, haven't, hasn't.
Regular verb: work
The past participle of a regular verb is the same as its past simple: add -ed.
| Pronoun | Affirmative | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | have worked | have not worked | Have I worked? |
| you | have worked | have not worked | Have you worked? |
| he / she / it | has worked | has not worked | Has she worked? |
| we | have worked | have not worked | Have we worked? |
| they | have worked | have not worked | Have they worked? |
Contractions: I've worked, she's worked, we haven't worked, he hasn't worked. She's here is short for she has, not she is; the participle after it tells you which.
Irregular verb: see
Irregular verbs have their own participle, which is often different from the past simple: see, saw, seen.
| Pronoun | Affirmative | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | have seen | have not seen | Have I seen? |
| you | have seen | have not seen | Have you seen? |
| he / she / it | has seen | has not seen | Has he seen? |
| we | have seen | have not seen | Have we seen? |
| they | have seen | have not seen | Have they seen? |
The most common irregular participles: been, done, gone, had, made, said, taken, given, written, spoken, eaten, known.
Signal Words
A small group of adverbs travels with the present perfect and tells you which use is meant.
Just, already, yet
Just and already go between have and the participle; yet goes at the end of negatives and questions.
- I've just seen her.
- a moment ago
- He's already left.
- earlier than expected
- Haven't you finished yet?
- expected by now
Already in a question expresses surprise: Have you already eaten?
Ever, never, before
Ever appears in questions and after superlatives; never is the negative and takes no not; before goes at the end.
- Have you ever tried sushi?
- at any point in your life
- This is the best meal I've ever had.
- superlative + ever
- I've never seen snow before.
- never carries the negative on its own
I haven't never seen is a double negative and an error.
For, since, so far, lately
These mark a period reaching up to now.
- We've been friends for twenty years.
- length of time
- It hasn't rained since March.
- starting point
- So far, nobody has complained.
- up to this moment
Since can also introduce a clause in the past simple: since I moved here.
Quick Check: Present Perfect Tense
Put the verb in brackets into the present perfect or the past simple.
1. I ___ (never / try) Thai food.
Answer: have never tried
life experience, no time given
2. She ___ (finish) the report an hour ago.
Answer: finished
an hour ago is finished time
3. We ___ (know) each other since school.
Answer: have known
since: still true now
4. ___ you ___ (see) my keys? I can't find them.
Answer: Have you seen
a present result: the keys are missing now
5. They ___ (move) to Canada in 2018 and ___ (live) there ever since.
Answer: moved, have lived
finished event, then a continuing situation
Present Perfect Tense FAQs
- What is the present perfect tense?
- The present perfect is the tense that links a past action to the present moment. It is formed with have or has plus a past participle: I have finished, she has gone. It covers life experience (I've been to Peru), recent events with a result now (I've lost my keys), unfinished time periods (I've called twice today), and situations that continue (I've lived here for years).
- When do I use the present perfect instead of the past simple?
- Use the present perfect when the time is not stated or is not finished: Have you seen this film? I've read two books this month. Use the past simple when the time is finished or stated: I saw it last week. I read two books in July. The test is whether you could add yesterday or last year: if you could, use the past simple.
- What is the difference between since and for?
- Since gives the starting point of a period: since Monday, since 2019, since I was a child. For gives the length of the period: for three days, for ten years, for a long time. Both go with the present perfect when the situation continues: I've lived here since 2019, so I've lived here for about seven years.
- Why do Americans say I already ate instead of I've already eaten?
- American English allows the past simple with just, already, and yet where British English prefers the present perfect: Did you eat yet? I just saw him. Both are standard in their varieties. The rule that finished-time words (yesterday, last week) take the past simple holds in both.
- What is the difference between has been and has gone?
- Has gone to means the person went and is still away: She's gone to the shops, so she isn't here. Has been to means the person went and has come back, or has the experience of visiting: She's been to the shops, so we have milk now. Have you ever been to Italy? asks about experience and always uses been.