Present Perfect Tense
Often, the action being described is still continuing into the present (e.g., John continues to take Sarah's advice). This is how the present perfect tense differs from the simple past tense.
Table of Contents
- More Examples of the Present Perfect Tense
- Video Lesson
- Comparing the Present Perfect Tense and the Simple Past Tense
- Forming the Present Perfect Tense
- Interactive Verb Conjugation Tables
- The Other Present Tenses
- Test Time!
More Examples of the Present Perfect Tense
- The board has decided to uphold the appeal. (This sentence carries the connotation that the board continues to uphold the appeal.)
- I have taken the wrong path. (Connotation: I am still on the wrong path.)
Video Lesson
Here is a short, 1-minute video on the present perfect tense. video lesson
Are you a visual learner? Do you prefer video to text? Here is a list of all our grammar videos.
Comparing the Present Perfect Tense and the Simple Past Tense
- Janet has run two miles. (This is the present perfect tense. In this example, Janet is still running when the words were said.)
- Janet ran two miles. (This is the simple past tense. In this example, Janet has stopped running when the words were said.)
- David has worked alongside two of the world's finest scientists in the field of entomology. (This is the present perfect tense. In this example, David might have finished working with those scientists, but the sentence carries the connotation that he is still working as an entomologist.)
- David worked alongside two of the world's finest scientists in the field of entomology. (This is the simple past tense. This example carries the connotation that David no longer works as an entomologist.)
Forming the Present Perfect Tense
The present perfect tense is formed:
"has" or "have"
[past participle]
- I have worked.
- She has painted.
Forming the Past Participle (Regular Verbs)
If it's a regular verb, the past participle is the same as the simple past tense. In other words, it is formed like this:
- jump > jumped
- paint > painted
- chat > chatted
- stop > stopped
- sew > sewed
- play > played
- fix > fixed
- incur > incurred
- prefer > preferred
- open > opened
- enter > entered
- swallow > swallowed
- thrive > thrived
- guzzle > guzzled
Forming the Past Participle (Irregular Verbs)
- arise > arisen
- catch > caught
- choose > chosen
- know > known
The Negative Version
If you need the negative version, you can use the following construction:
"has not" or "have not"
[past participle]
- The board has not decided to uphold the appeal.
- I have not taken the wrong path.
The Question Version
If you need to ask a question, you can use the following word order for a yes/no question:
"has" or "have"
[past participle]
- Has the board decided to uphold the appeal?
- Have I taken the wrong path?
[question word]
"has" or "have"
[past participle]
- Why has the board decided to uphold the appeal?
- How have I taken the wrong path?
Infographic for the Present Perfect Tense
Interactive Verb Conjugation Tables
The tables below show all 12 tenses so you can see the present perfect tense among the other tenses. (You can change the verb by clicking one of the green buttons.)
Top 10 Regular Verbs
want look use work start try ask need talk help
Top 10 Irregular Verbs
see say go come know get give become find think
All 4 Past Tenses
- I
- you
- he/she/it
- we
- you
- they
- past tense
- past tense
- past tense
- past tense
- past tense
- past tense
The simple past tense is for a completed activity that happened in the past.
The past progressive tense is for an ongoing activity in the past. Often, it is used to set the scene for another action.
- had past participle
- had past participle
- had past participle
- had past participle
- had past participle
- had past participle
The past perfect tense is for emphasizing that an action was completed before another took place.
- had been present participle
- had been present participle
- had been present participle
- had been present participle
- had been present participle
- had been present participle
The past perfect progressive tense is for showing that an ongoing action in the past has ended.
All 4 Present Tenses
- I
- you
- he/she/it
- we
- you
- they
- base form
- base form
- 3rd pers sing present
- base form
- base form
- base form
The simple present tense is mostly for a fact or a habit.
- am present participle
- are present participle
- is present participle
- are present participle
- are present participle
- are present participle
The present progressive tense is for an ongoing action in the present.
- have past participle
- have past participle
- has past participle
- have past participle
- have past participle
- have past participle
The present perfect tense is for an action that began in the past. (Often, the action continues into the present.)
- have been present participle
- have been present participle
- has been present participle
- have been present participle
- have been present participle
- have been present participle
The present perfect progressive tense is for a continuous activity that began in the past and continues into the present (or finished very recently).
All 4 Future Tenses
- I
- you
- he/she/it
- we
- you
- they
- will base form
- will base form
- will base form
- will base form
- will base form
- will base form
The simple future tense is for an action that will occur in the future.
- will be present participle
- will be present participle
- will be present participle
- will be present participle
- will be present participle
- will be present participle
The future progressive tense is for an ongoing action that will occur in the future.
- will have past participle
- will have past participle
- will have past participle
- will have past participle
- will have past participle
- will have past participle
The future perfect tense is for an action that will have been completed at some point in the future.
- will have been present participle
- will have been present participle
- will have been present participle
- will have been present participle
- will have been present participle
- will have been present participle
The future perfect progressive tense is for an ongoing action that will be completed at some specified time in the future.
The Other Present Tenses
The present perfect tense is one of four present tenses. This table shows all four of the present tenses:
| The 4 Present Tenses | Example |
|---|
| simple present tense | I go |
| present progressive tense | I am going |
| present perfect tense | I have gone |
| present perfect progressive tense | I have been going |
This page was written by Craig Shrives.
