Level Four
Lesson 43
present perfect tense
The present perfect tense is one of the most common verb tenses used in English. It covers a time that includes the past and the present.
- I have been a teacher since 1988. (I started teaching in the past and I am still doing it. The main verb is “be.”)
- How long have you had your current job? (When did you start working at the company that still employs you? The main verb is “have.”)
- Maria has lived in her apartment for 14 years. (She moved in 14 years ago, and she’s still there.)
- We have never eaten at that restaurant. (have never + past participle = 0)
I have been a teacher since 1988.
- subject = I
- helping verb = have
- main verb = been (be)
- subject complement = a teacher
- time expression = since 1988
43a. present perfect tense 
have or has + the past participle
The helping verb, “have,” must match the subject, singular or plural. The main verb is in the form of a past participle. In the
singular
I have moved.
You have moved.
He has moved.
She has moved.
It has moved.
plural
We have moved.
You have moved.
They have moved.
The past participle is different from the past tense form of the verb, but they are spelled and pronounced the same way when the verb is regular.
move / moved / moved / moving
43a. Examples
- Peter’s family has moved to a different country.
- They have moved three times in the last two years.
- Moving around so much has been difficult.
43b. present perfect tense
from past to present
There are four main reasons for using the present perfect tense. The first reason is when something started in the past and it is still happening now.
- Laura has worked at that bank for three years. (She started three years ago and she is still there today.
- We have known each other since kindergarten. (Our relationship began in kindergarten and we are still friends today.)
- I have owned that bike since 1993. (I bought it in 1993 and still have it.)
- Jerry has had that house for over 20 years. (He bought it 20 years ago and still lives there.
Use “for” with numbers.
Use “since” with time.
43b. Examples
- Irma has been in the hospital for three days.
helping verb = has
main verb = been (be)
be / was or were / been
- Leo has had a toothache since last week.
helping verb = has
main verb = had (have)
have / had / had
43c. present perfect tense
multiple times
The second reason for using the present perfect is when something happened many times in the past.
- Nathan has seen that movie many times.
- We have visited that nightclub several times.
- Muna has been to the dentist only twice.
- Maria has shopped at that store hundreds of times.
- I’ve told you about this millions of times. (This is an example of an exaggeration.)
- He’s hurt himself again. (Notice the contraction: He’s = He has)
- She’s gotten sick too many times. (She’s = She has)
43c. Example
- Tony has completed three projects already this week.
- The company he works for has promoted him several times.
- Tony’s boss has been very happy with him.
43d. present perfect tense
never
The third reason to choose the present perfect tense is to talk about something that never happened at all. During the course of one’s life, it never happened.
- I have never been to Odessa. (Up to this point in my life, I never visited that city in Ukraine.)
- This coffee maker has never worked properly. (From the time of purchase, it has always been bad.)
- Vanessa has never liked working for that company. (She didn’t like it when she started, and she doesn’t like it now.)
- They have never had so much fun. (This is actually a positive comment. It means that a person is doing something for the first time. This activity is the first time.)
- We have never seen so much destruction in one place. (Compared to other disasters, this is the worst.)
- Harold has never been so embarrassed. (This type of statement could be an exaggeration–a distortion of actual experience.)
- Olivia has never gone to sleep so late. (Of all the times she has gone to sleep in the past, this is the latest time, or it feels like the latest time.)
43d. Examples
- They have never jumped from an airplane before. This is their first time.
- He has never felt so much pain.
- She has never driven such a beautiful old car.
Note: The word “never” almost always goes between the helping verb and the main verb.
43e. present perfect tense
the recent past / no definite time
The third reason for using the present perfect is for the recent past. Something happened in the past, but the person speaking does not identify exactly when it happened.
- He’s completed his training. (When did he do it? We don’t know.)
- They have just eaten lunch. (When? It was before now, but the exact time is no known.)
- I’ve been there before. (When? Years ago? We don’t know.)
- Our flight has just arrived. Can you pick me up at the airport?
- Sara has just gotten off at work. Now she’s going out to meet some friends at a coffee shop.
- Terry has finally figured out how to use his computer.
43e. Examples
- This pizza has just arrived.
- We have ordered from this place in the past.
- He has just learned how to do that.
- He’s had many lessons that have helped him get to this point in his training.
Complete the exercise below. You may also print this out and use it for your class whether you are a teacher or a student.
present perfect tense (PDF)
Directions: Use the verb provided to complete each sentence in the present perfect tense.
1. Tom _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ there for seven years. (live)
2. The event _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ a huge success. (be)
3. Marguerite _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ all of her bills for this month. (pay)
4. I _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ that movie several times. (see)
5. The students _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ basic French. (study)
6. Maria _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ tomatoes in her garden this year. (plant)
7. Bob _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ in several races. (run)
8. The train _ _ _ _ _ _ _ just _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. (leave)
9. The children _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ already _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ their breakfast. (have)
10. Those men _ _ _ _ _ _ _ never _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ that game before. (play)
11. It _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ several years to finish the project. (take)
12. Someone _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ all of the cookies. (eat)
13. Chipmunks _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ the tomatoes. (steal)
14. The water in the hose _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . (freeze)
15. My mother _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ shopping. (go)
16. Henry _ _ _ _ _ _ _ never _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ camping before. (go)
17. The city _ _ _ _ _ _ recently _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ new playground equipment. (install)
18. Our plans _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ well. (work out)
19. She _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ that secret for a long time. (keep)
20. He _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ all of his work. (finish)
In the next lesson, learn how to make verbs negative in the present perfect tense.