Present Perfect

Present Perfect

Simple Definition

This tense is used to show (i) a link between the present and past, (ii) finished action and unfinished actions (discontinued).

Formal Definition

The tense is used to describe, an event (or action) that started in the past and creates a link between the present and past, unfinished actions (discontinued), a repeated action in an unspecified period between the past and present, finished actions(or recent past) and when the time of an action is unknown or less important. It is commonly used in everyday conversations, in the newspaper, on the television, and letters writing.

FORMULA / STRUCTURE

Subject + have / has + Verb [third form]

Third form of verb is called Past Participle form.

Singular subject = has

Plural subject = have

I = have

BASIC

EXAMPLES

[‘ve = have] [‘s = has]

→ I’ve played cricket. (I’ve = I have)

→ We have played this day.

→ You have watched TV.

→ You’ve watched TV.

→ Yaqoob has read a book.

→ Yaqoob’s read a book.

→ Yaqoob and Aslam have read a book.

→ He has worked.

→ He’s worked.

→ She has worked.

→ It has rained.

→ They have played.

→ They’ve played.

How to pronounce 'ed' at the end of a verb. Go end of this lecture click here.

Second and third form of READ is “READ” but it is pronounced as “red”.

First form	Second form	Third form	Fourth form
Read	Read	Read	Reading

V2 & V3 = Read (pronounce as red)

I have = I’ve
You have = You’ve
They have = They’ve
We have = We’ve

He has = He’s
She has = She’s
It has = It’s

NEGATIVE EXAMPLES

For negative we use [have not = haven’t]

[has not = hasn’t]

→ I have not played cricket.
OR I haven’t played cricket.

→ Yaqoob has not read a book.
OR Yaqoob hasn’t read a book.

→ You have not watched TV.
OR You haven’t watched TV.

INTERROGATIVE / QUESTION

For interrogative we use [have] [has]

→ Has Yaqoob read a book?

→ Has Yaqoob not read a book?
OR Hasn’t Yaqboob read a book?

→ Have you watched TV?

→ Have you not watched TV?
OR Haven’t you watching TV?

Read these examples:

↷ I’ve completed my assignment.

(Yesterday, I didn’t complete. Now I have done.)

↷ I have bought a new car.

(Last week I didn’t have a car. Now I have a new car.)

↷ Aslam has hurt his arm.

(Yesterday, he was good. Now he has a bad arm.)

↷ The price has gone up.

(Yesterday, the price not high. Now the price increases)

↷ Has the price gone up?

(Was the price low yesterday? Is the price higher today?)

↷ The police have arrested the thief.

(Yesterday, the thief was free. Now he is in prison.)

 

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

 (i) Extension of Past

An action started in the past and creates a link between present and past (and will probably create a link into the future). Generally, we use it to say 'how long' and we need 'since' or 'for'. We often use state verb (not an action).

 

Want to read what is state and action verb? Click here

 

↷ I have known you since childhood. (= I still know you)

↷ She has lived in Paris for three years. (= she still lives in Paris)

↷ I have known you for many years.

↷ He has worked here for six months.

↷ They have been married for nearly fifty years.

 

Usage of Since and For

We use ‘since’ and ‘for’ for these tenses.

 

Present Perfect	Present Perfect Continuous
Past Perfect	Past Perfect Continuous
Future Perfect	Future Perfect Continuous

 

'Since' and 'For'

We use 'since' with a fixed time (starting point) in the past (2004, 23rd April, last year). The fixed time can be another action, which is in the past simple (since I was at school, since I arrived).

 

↷ I have known Aslam since 1992.

↷ She has been here since 2 pm.

↷ You have liked chocolate since you were a child.

 

We use 'for' with a period of time (2 hours, three years, six months).

 

↷ I have known Maria for ten years.

↷ He has worked here for six months.

↷ I have known you for a week.

 

We use how long in questions.

 

↷ How long have they been married? ~ Oh, for about four years.

↷ How long has Vicky had that camera? ~ Since Monday.

 

We can also use the present perfect with for and since when something has stopped happening.

 

↷ He hasn't visited us since July.

↷ You haven't seen your uncle for ages.

 

(ii) time period to has not finished

 

↷ You have worked hard this week.

(= and the week is not over yet.)

↷ It has rained a lot this year.

(= and the year is not over yet.)

↷ The manager has not seen you today.

(= and the office time is not over yet.)

↷ The officer has not seen him this month.

(= and the month is not over yet.)

↷ She has drunk three cups of tea today.

(= and the day is not over yet.)

 

(iii) a repeated action in an unspecified period between the past and present

 

↷ He has called the student three times by now.

↷ It has happened several times already.

↷ We have eaten at that restaurant many times.

↷ My grandfather has seen that film six times.

 

ADVANCE LEVEL

 

 BE CAREFUL!

We do not use the present perfect with adverbials which refer to a finished past time: yesterday, last week / last month / last year, in 2017, when I was younger etc. These are past indefinite adverbials

 

Read these lines:

 

↷ He has seen that film yesterday.

He saw that film yesterday. (Past Indefinite)

↷ We have just bought a new car last week.

We bought a new car last week. (Past Indefinite)

↷ When we were children we have been to Islamabad.

When we were children we went to Islamabad. (Past Indefinite)

 

but we can use the present perfect with adverbials which refer to a time which is not yet finished: today, this week/month/year, already, etc

 

↷ Have you seen Maria today?

↷ We have bought a new car this week.

↷ It has happened several times already.

 

 

(i) An actions finished in the very recent past. We often use the present perfect to talk about something that happened in the recent past, but that is still true or important now. Sometimes we can use the Past Indefinite (past simple) here, especially in US English.

 

Review about Past Indefinite click here

 

↷ He has lost his keys.

↷ He lost his keys. (past indefinite)

(= he can't get into the house)

↷ He has hurt his arm.

↷ He hurt his arm.  (past indefinite)

(= he can't play tennis today).

↷ They have missed the bus.

↷ They missed the bus. (past indefinite)

(= they will be late).

 

(ii) First time, second time, third time etc

After It's/This is the first/second time, we use the present perfect.

↷ This is the first time we've been to Islamabad.

↷ This is the second time Maria has forgotten to give me a message.

↷ He loves this film. It's the fourth time he’s seen it.

 

(iii) when time of the action is unknown or less important or not known

 

↷ She has studied Persian, French, and English.

↷ I have read the play As You Like It.

↷ Someone has eaten my soup.

↷ Have you read the novel 'Prisoner of Zenda'?

 

(iv) Present Perfect + since + Past Indefinite

 

(What extent of action is done until now.)

 

↷ I've five difference jobs since I left college.
↷ We have studied two lessons since the class started.

 

experience up to the present:

 

↷ I've played the guitar ever since I was a teenager.

↷ His last birthday was the worst day he has ever had.

↷ Have you played the piano since you were a child?

 

(v) ever, never, already, just, by now, recently, so far, by now, until now etc.

 

We often use the present perfect with adverbials which refer to the recent past.

 

≫ “ever” means “in your whole life up to the present time”

≫ “Never” means “not ever”

 

↷ Their last college function was the worst day they have ever had.

↷ We have never seen that film.

↷ Have you ever met the chairman of our club? Yes, but I've never met his son.

 

≫ “Just” means “a short time ago”

≫ “Already” means “sooner than expected”

 

Nabeel: I have just heard about a new motivational speaker. Have you bought a ticket yet?

Aslam: We are too late. They have already sold all the tickets.

(= They sold the tickets very quickly.)

 

≫ We use yet when we are expecting
something to happen. Nabeel expects that
Aslam will buy a ticket.

≫ Just and already come before the past
participle.

 

≫ Yet comes at the end of a question or a negative sentence.

 

↷ It isn't a very good party. Most people have already gone home.

↷ I've just had an idea.

↷ They've just returned from journey.
↷ It's eleven o'clock and she hasn't finished breakfast yet.
↷ Have you bought a ticket yet?

 

(vi) Gone to or Been to

 

We use 'gone to' (to mean that the person visited the place and he is at the place now, hasn’t come back yet.)

 

We use been to (often when we talk about life experience) to mean that the person we're talking about visited the place and came back)

 

↷ She has gone to Islamabad.

(now she is in Islamabad.)

↷ She has been to Islamabad.

(Been to means that the visit is over and she has come back.)

 

↷ She has gone to college today.

(now she is in college.)

↷ She has been to college today.

(but now she has back at home)

 

↷ They've gone to England for seven weeks.

(= now they're in England)

↷ They've been to England.

(= now they're not in England they have come back)