Present Perfect
The present perfect connects the past with the present. Use it for actions that happened at an unspecified time or have results now.
Formation
have/has + past participle
- I have visited Paris. (I → have)
- She has seen that movie. (She → has)
When to Use
-
Life experiences (unspecified time)
- I have been to Japan.
- She has never tried sushi.
-
Recent actions with present results
- I have lost my keys. (I don't have them now)
- He has finished his homework. (It's done now)
-
Actions that started in the past and continue now
- I have lived here for five years.
- They have known each other since 2015.
Present Perfect vs Past Simple: - Present Perfect: Time NOT mentioned or NOT important - "I have visited Paris." (sometime in my life) - Past Simple: Specific time in the past - "I visited Paris last year." (specific time)
Time Expressions
- ever - Have you ever been to London?
- never - I have never eaten snails.
- already - She has already finished.
- yet - Have you done it yet?
- just - I have just arrived.
- for - I have lived here for 3 years.
- since - I have lived here since 2020.
Practice Exercises
Multiple Choice
B1Which sentence is correct?
Fill in the Blank
B1She never {{been}} to Australia.
Hint: Third person singular uses 'has'
Sentence Transformation
B1Task: Transform to present perfect (remove specific time reference)
Hint: Use have/has + past participle
Find the Error
B1Practice Speaking
Apply what you've learned in a real conversation with AI feedback.
Level: B1