Mastering the Present Perfect: Uses, Forms, and Examples
Present Perfect Tense: Has/Have Explained
The Present Perfect tense uses has/have (hasn’t/haven’t): I HAVE, you HAVE, she/he/it HAS, we HAVE, you HAVE.
- Used for completed actions without mentioning a specific time.
- Used for unfinished time periods.
- Often used with: ever, just, already, yet, for, or since.
Form of the Present Perfect
Affirmative: subject + have/has + -ed or 3rd column (past participle).
Negative: subject + haven’t/hasn’t + 3rd column (past participle).
Interrogative: Have/has + subject + -ed or 3rd column (past participle).
If you want to mention a specific time, use the Past Simple: someone broke the window last night. // I found a new job last week.
Completed action mentioning the time (unfinished time periods: this week, today, this evening, this year…): I have written 7 messages today.
Present perfect + EVER + personal experiences: Have you ever eaten snails? // Have you ever been to Australia?
Present perfect + JUST: He has just come. // The train has just left.
Present perfect + ALREADY (ya) or YET (todavía (no), ya): She has already done her homework. // Has she done her homework yet? // She hasn’t done her homework yet.
Present perfect + FOR (desde hace, durante) or SINCE (desde): Used to indicate an action that started in the past and continues in the present: He has worked in Murcia for 5 years. // She has lived here since 2013.
BEEN (ir y volver) or GONE (se ha ido): Have you ever been to Italy? // Mr. Jane isn’t here at the moment — He has gone to the dentist. // Mr. Jean is back now — He has been to the dentist.
Present Perfect vs. Past Simple
| Present Perfect | Past Simple |
|---|---|
| FORM: subject + have/has + past participle | FORM: subject + -ed or 2nd column (past simple) |
| subject + didn’t + verb in infinitive | |
| Did + subject + verb in infinitive | |
| USES: Past action without mentioning the time // Unfinished time periods // Present perfect + ever, just, already, yet, for, since… // How long…? (¿Cuánto hace, cuánto tiempo hace..?) | USES: Past action mentioning the time (He arrived last week) // Actions completed in the past (I saw Tom yesterday) // FOR (durante) or AGO (hace) (He came 5 years ago // He worked in Madrid for 2 years) // How long…? (¿Cuánto tiempo…?) (How long did you live in France?) // Questions with What time…? When…? |
Vocabulary
Housework
- clean the floor (fregar el suelo)
- do the ironing (planchar)
- do the shopping (hacer la compra)
- do the washing (lavar la ropa)
- do the washing-up (lavar los platos)
- lay the table (poner la mesa)
- make lunch (preparar el almuerzo)
- make the beds (hacer las camas)
- pick up dirty clothes (recoger la ropa sucia)
- put away your clothes (guardar la ropa)
- take out the rubbish (sacar la basura)
- tidy the room (ordenar la habitación)
Make or Do
| Make | Do |
|---|---|
| Make a mistake (cometer un error) | Do a course (hacer un curso) |
| Make a noise (hacer ruido) | Do an exam (hacer un examen) |
| Make a phone call (hacer una llamada) | Do housework (hacer tareas de casa) |
| Make friends (hacer amigos) | Do sport/exercise (hacer deporte) |
| Make lunch/dinner (hacer la comida/cena) | |
| Make plans (hacer planes) |
In a Shop or Store
- changing rooms (probadores)
- checkout (caja)
- customer (cliente)
- receipt (ticket)
- shop assistant (dependiente)
- take something back (devolver algo)
- trolley/basket (carrito/cesta)
- try something on (probarse algo)
- don’t fit (quedar mal (por la talla))
- don’t suit (quedar mal (por aspecto))
Online Shopping
- account (cuenta)
- auction (subasta)
- checkout (pagar)
- delivery (entrega)
- item (artículo)
- payment (pago)
- size (talla)
- website (página web)