Present Perfect: Simple form
 
Click each section below to review the grammar explanation and examples.
A Basic Structure & Example Paragraph

The present perfect simple connects the past with the present. We use it to describe experiences, actions that happened at an unknown time, or situations that began in the past and are still important now.

Subject + has / have + past participle
  • I have visited Vancouver.
  • She has finished her homework.
  • They have lived here for five years.
 
Sample Paragraph

I have lived in Canada for several years, and I have learned many new things. I have met people from different countries, and I have improved my English since I arrived. Also, I have travelled to many inetreting places, and I have seen many beaituful landscapes. But, I haven't completed all of my goals yet because I haven't improved my English to a higher level yet. 

B Present Perfect Simple

Use the present perfect simple to talk about experiences, actions that happened at an unknown time, or actions that started in the past and are still important now.

Subject + has / have + past participle
  • I have visited Vancouver.
  • She has finished her homework.
  • They have lived here for five years.
C Common Time Markers

The present perfect simple is often used with time expressions that connect the past to the present.

already • yet • just • ever • never • for • since
  • I have already finished my homework. (already; use to say you did it recently)
  • She has just arrived home. (just; not too long ago)
  • They have lived here since 2020. (since; from a starting point)
  • We have worked together for five years. (for; a length of time)
  • I haven't passed the exam yet. (yet; used in negative sentences)
  • Have you been to Banff yet? (yet; used in questions)
  • Have you ever been to Banff? (ever; at any time in your life)
  • No, I've never been to Banff. (never; not at any time)
D Present Perfect vs. Simple Past

Use the present perfect simple when the exact time is not important or when the action is connected to the present. Use the simple past when you mention a finished time in the past.

Present Perfect: Time is not important.

Simple Past: Finished time in the past.
  • I have visited Toronto. (The exact time isn't important.)
  • I visited Toronto last summer. (Finished time in the past.)
  • She has lost her keys. (She still doesn't have them.)
  • She lost her keys yesterday. (Finished time in the past.)
  • We have met before. (No specific time is mentioned.)
  • We met at the conference in 2023. (The meeting happened at a finished time.)
E Questions & Negative Forms

To make questions, place has or have before the subject. To make negative sentences, add not after has or have.

Questions
Have / Has + subject + past participle?

Negative Sentences
Subject + haven't / hasn't + past participle
  • Have you finished your homework yet?
  • Has she visited Calgary before?
  • I haven't completed the assignment yet.
  • He hasn't called me today.
  • Have they ever travelled to Europe?
  • We haven't seen that movie yet.
F For vs. Since

Both for and since are commonly used with the present perfect simple to describe situations that began in the past and continue to the present.

For = a period of time
Since = a starting point
  • I have worked here for three years.
  • She has lived in Edmonton since 2022.
  • We have known each other for a long time.
  • They have studied English since January.
  • He has owned that car for five years.
  • I have been a member of this club since last summer.
G Regular & Irregular Past Participles

The present perfect simple always uses the past participle. Regular verbs usually end in -ed, while many common verbs are irregular and must be memorized.

Regular verbs → verb + -ed
Irregular verbs → special past participle form

Regular Verbs

  • work → worked
  • finish → finished
  • visit → visited
  • clean → cleaned

Irregular Verbs

  • go → gone
  • eat → eaten
  • see → seen
  • write → written
H Key Points to Remember

Remember these key ideas:

  • Use the present perfect simple to describe experiences, completed actions, or situations that began in the past and continue to the present.
  • Form the tense with has / have + past participle.
  • Use already, just, yet, ever, and never when discussing experiences or recent actions.
  • Use for to describe a period of time, and since to describe the starting point of an action.
  • Do not use the present perfect with finished time expressions such as yesterday, last week, last year, or in 2022. Use the simple past instead.
  • Remember that many common verbs have irregular past participles, such as gone, seen, written, eaten, and done.
  • Ask yourself whether the exact time is important. If the answer is yes, use the simple past. If the answer is no, the present perfect is often the correct choice.
Practice Exercises »