Present Perfect

Golden Gate Bridge 1081782 1280 (binary/octet-stream)

Present Perfect: The Bridge

Present Perfect is the bridge between ​​​​​​​PAST & PRESENT

Golden Gate Bridge 1081782 1280 (binary/octet-stream)

Present Perfect: Key Time Words

since 2002 for ten years Have you ever ...? I have never ... already / yet / just

I                 have you           have            he /she    has            + (3rd form) it                has we             have they          have

How to form Present Perfect Positive

I have lived here for 10 years. You have taught English since 2000. He has worked here for 10 years. It has helped us many times. We have written a lot of manuals. They have seen all of his movies.

How to form Present Perfect Negative

I                 have not you           have not           he /she    has not        + (3rd form) it                has not we             have not they          have not

I have not worked here long. You have not seen our new place. She has not written any articles. It has not changed for a long time. We have not eaten here before. They have not spent much money.

How to form Present Perfect Questions

Have I Have you Has he/she     + (3rd form) ...? Has it Have we Have they

How long have I worked here? How long have you lived here? How long has he studied English? How long has it been? How long have we prepared? How long have they known her?

Present Perfect: How long?

1. Situations that started in the past and continue up to now.          How long has she worked here?        She has worked here for 9 years.           (She started working here 9 years ago and she still works here.)        He has worked here since 2011.           (He started working here in 2011 and he still works here.)        

Present Perfect: Have you ever...?

2. We use Present Perfect to talk about our life experiences:                                     Have you ever? =  Have you had this experience in your life?           Have you ever eaten snails?            No, I haven't!         Have you ever bungee-jumped?     Yes, I have!         Has he ever been to Asia?                Yes, he has.         Has she ever written a book?          No, she hasn't.           We have never been to Africa, but we have been to Australia.

Present Perfect: How many?

2. We use Present Perfect to talk about our life experiences                                        and to tell how many times things have happened in our life.       How many times have you been to Sweden?     I have been to Sweden many times.   (many times in my life up to now)     He has never been to Sweden.             (never in his life up to now)   How many books has she written?     She has written seven books.               (7 books in her life up to now)

Present Perfect: What has happened?

3. Something that happened not long ago and it is important now.*     NEWS:  I've passed my exam!                                                                                                        (it happened not long ago and you can congratulate me now!)                   The Queen has made a speech.                                                                                      (it happened not long ago and we are interested in it now)                   I've cut my finger!                                                                                                                                                                                                                      (it happened not long ago and now I need a bandage!) * NOTE: This is British English. Americans usually use Past Simple here:                   I passed my exam. The President made a speech. I cut my finger.

Past Simple or Present Perfect?

Use Past Simple when you talk about a finished time in the past:          yesterday, last summer, two years ago, when I was a child          I visited my grandmother yesterday.  We went to Spain last summer.   Use Present Perfect when you talk about unfinished time (up to now):          since 2019, for 10 years (up to now), ever, never, all my life          He has lived in Tallinn all his life.  She has never been to Helsinki.