The present perfect tense connects a past action to the present, and it is one of the most useful tenses in English. In this free lesson you will learn the form (affirmative, negative and question), the four main uses and the time expressions that go with the present perfect and the simple past, with four illustrations to make everything easy to remember. When you finish, test yourself with our present perfect vs simple past Jeopardy game, and review the verbs in our irregular verbs list.
Table of Contents
What Is the Present Perfect Tense?
Quick answer: the present perfect tense is formed with have or has + past participle. We use it for past actions or states that are still connected to the present: a result we can see now, an experience in our life, a situation that has not finished, or recent news. We do not use it with a finished time such as yesterday or last week: for that we use the simple past.
The simplest way to see the difference is a timeline. The simple past looks at one point in the past that is over. The present perfect draws a line from the past to now.
This lesson is based on the grammar explanations of the present perfect and past simple on British Council LearnEnglish, with extra examples for Moroccan students.
Present Perfect Tense Form: Affirmative, Negative and Question
The present perfect tense always has two parts: the auxiliary have (or has for he, she and it) and the past participle of the main verb. The illustration below puts the present perfect and the simple past side by side, so you can compare the three forms.
Affirmative Present Perfect
Subject + have/has + past participle. In speech we usually use the short forms: I’ve, you’ve, we’ve, they’ve, he’s, she’s, it’s.
- I have visited Marrakech three times.
- She has finished her homework.
- They have already sent the letter.
- The train has just arrived.
Regular verbs add -ed to the base verb (work, worked; finish, finished). Some need a spelling change: study becomes studied and stop becomes stopped. Irregular verbs have their own participle, and you have to learn them: go becomes gone, be becomes been, see becomes seen, take becomes taken, lose becomes lost, buy becomes bought, do becomes done, write becomes written. The 3rd column of our irregular verbs list gives you all of them.
Negative Present Perfect
Subject + have/has + not + past participle. The short forms are haven’t and hasn’t.
- He hasn’t called us yet.
- You haven’t visited Tokyo yet.
- They haven’t seen the film.
- I have never been to Mexico. (never is already negative, so we do not add not)
Present Perfect Tense Questions and Short Answers
For yes/no questions we put have or has before the subject: Have you finished? Has she called? The short answer repeats have or has: Yes, I have. No, she hasn’t. For questions with a question word, the question word comes first.
- Has John bought a new car yet? No, not yet.
- Have you ever been in a TV studio? Yes, I have.
- What have you done?
- How long has she lived here?
Present Perfect Tense: 4 Rules and When to Use Them
According to the British Council grammar guide, we use the present perfect for past actions or states that are still connected to the present. These are the four situations you will meet most often.
Rule 1: A Past Action With a Result in the Present
We see or feel the result now, so we use the present perfect tense.
- I have lost my dictionary. I can’t find it anywhere.
- His hair looks short. He has had a haircut.
- My bicycle isn’t here. Somebody has taken it.
- The car looks clean. Have you washed it?
Rule 2: Life Experience Up to Now
When we talk about our experience, we do not say when it happened. The question is whether it happened at least once in your life up to now. We often use ever and never.
- Have you ever eaten couscous in Fes?
- I have never seen snow.
- We have been to Mexico three times.
Rule 3: A Situation That Started in the Past and Continues
For something that began in the past and is still true now, use the present perfect with for (a period of time) or since (a starting point).
- She has lived in Rabat for ten years.
- I have known Karim since 2015.
- They have been married for fifty years.
Compare: I lived in Casablanca for five years means I do not live there now. I have lived in Casablanca for five years means I still live there.
Rule 4: Recent News With Just, Already and Yet
We often use the present perfect tense with just, already, yet and still, because they are related to the present moment. Read more on the British Council page about just, yet, still and already.
- Just means a short time ago: They have just gone out.
- Already means before now, sometimes earlier than expected: The plane has already left.
- Yet goes at the end of negatives and questions: He hasn’t called us yet. Have you sent the letters yet?
- Still in a negative sentence shows we expected it earlier: She still hasn’t answered.
Simple Past Form: Affirmative, Negative and Question
The simple past is for an action that is finished. It is the second tense in the comparison, so here is a quick review of its form. You can find more on the British Council past simple page.
Affirmative Simple Past
Subject + past form of the verb. There is no auxiliary, and the form is the same for all subjects: I worked, she worked, they worked. Irregular verbs have their own past form: go becomes went, buy becomes bought, be becomes was or were.
- They went out a minute ago.
- Jane bought her car two weeks ago.
- When we were on holiday, the weather was terrible.
Negative Simple Past
Subject + did not (didn’t) + base verb. After didn’t the main verb stays in the base form, so we never say didn’t went.
- I didn’t see her last week.
- Why didn’t Jim want to play tennis last Friday?
Simple Past Questions
Did + subject + base verb. The short answers are Yes, I did and No, I didn’t. Questions with who or what as the subject do not need did: Who discovered penicillin? Questions with the verb be use was or were without did: Were you at home?
- Did she call him a week ago?
- When did he give up smoking?
- Did you and Tom enjoy the party last night?
Time Indicators for the Present Perfect Tense and the Simple Past
Time expressions are the quickest clue for choosing the right tense. The illustration shows the most common ones: words on the left go with the present perfect tense, words on the right go with the simple past.
Time Expressions for the Present Perfect Tense
- already, yet, just, still: I have already finished. Have you finished yet?
- ever, never: Have you ever travelled by plane? I have never been to Spain.
- so far, until now, up to now: So far I have done only my history homework.
- recently, lately: Scientists have recently discovered a new species.
- for and since: We have lived here for six years / since 2020.
- today, this week, this month, this year (the period is not finished): Have you seen Helen today?
Time Expressions for the Simple Past
- yesterday, last night, last week, last year: I saw her yesterday.
- ago: They went out a minute ago. (ago always needs the simple past)
- in + a year: We visited Russia in 1992.
- when + a past clause: When I was a child, I lived in Rabat.
- then, at that time, the other day: Then we went home.
A good test: if you can add a finished time expression to the sentence, use the simple past. If the time is not mentioned and the present matters, use the present perfect tense. The words today and this week are special: they use the present perfect while the period is still going on (Have you seen Helen today?), but the simple past when we think of the time as finished.
Present Perfect Tense vs Simple Past: How to Choose
Ask yourself two questions. First, is there a finished time? Second, do I care about the present result or experience? The table of examples below shows how the meaning changes.
- I lost my keys yesterday, but I found them this morning. (finished time, problem solved)
- I have lost my keys. I can’t open the door. (the problem is still here)
- He broke his leg last week, so he can’t go on holiday. (we say when)
- He has broken his leg, so he can’t go on holiday. (we focus on the result now)
- Did you finish it yesterday? / Have you finished it yet?
Has Gone or Has Been?
Both are present perfect forms of go, but the meaning is different. Has gone means the person went and is still there. Has been means the person went and came back.
British English and American English
In British English we use the present perfect for a recent action that matters now: He has already had lunch. Have you done your homework yet? Americans often use the simple past instead: He already had lunch. Did you do your homework yet? Both are accepted, but exams in Morocco normally follow the British pattern, so use the present perfect with already, just and yet.
Study Tips and Key Verbs for the Present Perfect Tense
Learn the Past Participles in Groups
Do not try to memorise a long list in one evening. Learn the participles in small groups of five and repeat them aloud. Verbs that change in the same way are easier to remember, so start with these groups.
- Same three forms: cut, put, let, hit, shut (I have cut, I cut, cut).
- Participle ends in -ought or -aught: buy, bought, bought; bring, brought, brought; catch, caught, caught; teach, taught, taught.
- Participle ends in -n: see, seen; take, taken; give, given; know, known; write, written; speak, spoken.
- Participle different from the simple past: go, went, gone; do, did, done; eat, ate, eaten; begin, began, begun; drink, drank, drunk.
- Regular verbs: add -ed to the base verb: visit, visited; finish, finished; wash, washed; call, called.
Our irregular verbs list has the three forms of every common verb, and the irregular verbs exercises lets you test yourself.
A Three-Step Method for Any Exercise
When you meet a gap-fill exercise, do not guess. Follow these three steps and you will be right most of the time.
- Step 1: look for a time expression. Yesterday, last week, ago or in 2019 mean simple past. Already, yet, just, ever, never, for or since mean present perfect.
- Step 2: if there is no time expression, read the situation. Is the person talking about a result or an experience that matters now? Then choose the present perfect. Is the story finished and told in order? Then choose the simple past.
- Step 3: build the form. Present perfect: have or has + past participle. Simple past: past form, or did + base verb in negatives and questions. Then read the sentence aloud to check it.
Short Dialogues to Read Aloud
Reading dialogues aloud is the fastest way to feel the difference between the two tenses. Notice how the speakers start with the present perfect to open the topic and move to the simple past when they give details.
- A: Have you seen the new film? B: Yes, I have. I saw it on Saturday with my cousin.
- A: Has Sara arrived yet? B: Yes, she has. She got here ten minutes ago.
- A: Have you ever been to Chefchaouen? B: Yes, I have. We went there last summer and took lots of photos.
- A: Haven’t they arrived yet? B: Oh, yes. They have already arrived. They came this morning.
In each dialogue the first question uses the present perfect, because the speakers are interested in the experience or the news. The answer with a finished time (on Saturday, ten minutes ago, last summer, this morning) switches to the simple past, because the time is now given and the action is finished.
Common Mistakes With the Present Perfect Tense
Using the Present Perfect Tense With a Finished Time
Wrong: I have seen her yesterday. Right: I saw her yesterday. Wrong: We have bought a car two weeks ago. Right: We bought a car two weeks ago.
Using the Wrong Verb Form After Have and Did
After have or has, use the past participle: Have you sent the letters? (not Have you send). After did or didn’t, use the base verb: Did you enjoy the party? (not Did you enjoyed).
Confusing Yet and Already
Use yet in negative sentences and questions, and already in positive sentences: She has already left. She hasn’t left yet. Has she left yet?
Practise the Present Perfect Tense
Now it is time to practise. Play our present perfect vs simple past exercises, a free game with 36 questions, a timer, answers and explanations. If you want to review the other perfect tense, read our Past Perfect Tense lesson. For a different explanation of how to talk about the past, see the British Council page Talking about the past.
FAQ: Present Perfect Tense
How do you form the present perfect tense?
Use have or has + past participle. The negative is haven’t or hasn’t + past participle, and questions start with have or has: Has she finished?
When do we use the present perfect tense instead of the simple past?
Use the present perfect for past actions connected to the present, for example a result now, an experience, or a situation that continues. Use the simple past for finished actions with a finished time, such as yesterday or two weeks ago.
Can I use the present perfect tense with yesterday or ago?
No. Yesterday, last week, ago and in 2019 give a finished time, so they need the simple past: I saw her yesterday.
What is the difference between for and since?
Use for with a period of time (for ten years) and since with a starting point (since 2015). Both are used with the present perfect tense for situations that continue now.
Where can I practise the present perfect tense online for free?
On our free present perfect vs simple past exercises page. It is a Jeopardy game with 36 questions, a timer and an answer key with explanations.
- Present Perfect vs Simple Past Exercises: 36 Best Free Jeopardy Questions with Answers
- Past Perfect Tense: the full lesson
- Practice Irregular Verbs Exercises
- Irregular verbs list
- The Reported Speech
- Free English Grammar Exercises for Moroccan Students
