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Present Perfect Simple - When To Use + Example Sentence

Updated: Jul 8


1. What is the Present Perfect Simple tense?


The Present Perfect Simple Form =has / have + verb (past participle)


e.g.

1. They have not arrived.

2. I have not spoken to his mum yet.

3. She has seen the movie 3 times.


2. When to use Present Perfect Simple - Example Situation?


We use the Present Perfect to talk about:


i) an action in the past (but we do not know exactly when),

ii) a recent past - (recently finished action / event),

iii) time from the past until now (experience),



3. How to use the Present Perfect Simple in a Sentence

speak > spoken
Irregular Verbs - Past participle form

Example:


1. She has never ridden a bike before.

2. They have already gone home.

3. He has just finished his homework.

4. Have you been to Tina's new place?

5. Why has Zoe taken her cat away?



Grammar Check!

The Past Participle form:

present past simple past participle

- go >went >> gone

- finish >finished >> finished

- ride >rode >> ridden



4. What's the Difference between Present Perfect vs Past Simple?


e.g.

​(Present Perfect Simple) (Past Simple)

a. ​I have done my homework. I did my homework last night.

b. She has gone to the supermarket. She went to the supermarket yesterday.


Grammar Check!

(Present Perfect Simple)

- we don't use exact 'time words' e.g yesterday, etc.

- we don't know exactly when the past action happened.


(Past Simple)

ii. yesterday, last night, 10 minutes ago etc...




5. How to form the Present Perfect Simple tense?


a) positive / negative form


Form = has / have + verb (past participle form)


e.g. verb > 'do' = 'done' (past participle)


i. (positive) & (short form)


- I /you /we / they have ('ve) + done

- he / she / it has ('s ) + done



ii. (negative) & (short form)


- I /you /we / they have not (haven't) + done

- he/she/it has not (hasn't) + done



iii. Yes/No Question:


- Have I / you / we / they done ...?

- Has he / she /it done ...?



iv. Short Answer


- Yes, I / you / we / they have.

- Yes, he / she / it has.


- No, ​I / you / we / they have not (haven't).

- No, he / she / it has not (hasn't).



Present Perfect Simple Example Sentence :


(Positive)

-I have done the laundry.

(short form) I've done the laundry.


(Negative)

-I have not done the laundry.

(short form) I haven't done the laundry.



6. What is the Past Participle? List of Regular & Irregular Verbs


How to form the Past Participle - Rules & Some Examples


i) REGULAR VERBS


Change to Past Participle form - verb + -ed:


PRESENT PAST PAST PARTICIPLE

bake baked baked

cook cooked cooked

like liked liked

clean cleaned cleaned

start started started

finish finished finished


Example Sentence:

- He has cleaned his room.

(short form) He's cleaned the room.



ii) IRREGULAR VERBS


PRESENT PAST Simple PAST PARTICIPLE

has/have had had

be was/were been

drink drank drunk

eat ate eaten

go went gone

come came come

bring brought brought

know knew known

do did done

see saw seen

run ran run

think thought thought

make made made

put put put

read *read read

speak spoke spoken


Pronunciation tip!

*read sounds like (red)


Example:

- Lily has read the book before.

(Short Form) Lily's read the book before.



Grammar Point!



7. How to use the Present Perfect Simple With Adverbs / Time Expressions - Example Sentences


You can use the Present Perfect Simple with these adverbs / time expressions:

- just

- already

- yet

- ever

- before

- never


i) How to use Present Perfect Simple with:

- just

- already

- yet


a. 'just' = 'a short while ago'


e.g. Kumi has cleaned the kitchen floor.

- Kumi has ('s) just cleaned the kitchen floor.


e.g. > Has she left the office?

- Yes, she has ('s) just left the office.



I've done the housework. Present Perfect Simple
Present Perfect Simple for an action in the past (but we do not know exactly when)

b) Present Perfect Simple with 'yet' for Negative & Question form:


e.g.

(negative)

- I haven't done the laundry yet.


(yes/no Question)

- Have you done the laundry yet?


(wh-Q)

- Why haven't you done the laundry yet?




c) Present Perfect Simple with 'already' - Example Sentences


Have you fed Fifi yet? Present Perfect Simple
Use Present Perfect Simple with "already". e.g. I've already spoken to him.

(yes/no Question)

- Lisa, have you fed Fifi yet?


(short answer)

- Yes, I have ('ve) already done it.


- No, I have not (haven't) done it yet.

- No, not yet.




Tip! Better English Speaking Skills

Say the sentences out loud. Repeat a few times. Try without looking at the text.



iii). Use Present Perfect Simple Tense for a time from the past till now (experience) with Adverbs / Time expressions:

-before,

- ever,

- never



(Yes/No Questions)

No, I've never been to Paris before. Present Perfect Simple
Use "ever" with Present Perfect Simple Questions. e.g. Have you ever been to Paris?

- Have you been to Paris?


use with 'before':

- Have you been to Paris before?


use with 'ever':

- Have you ever been to Paris?


- Yes, I've been there before.

- No, I've never been there before.


(Short Answers)

-Yes, I have. Many times.

-No, I have not. No, I haven't.



Present Perfect Simple with "never" (Negative)

'never' = not even 1 time

- No, I've never been to Paris.

- No, I've never been to Paris before.



8. How to use 'been' & 'gone' in the Present Perfect Simple: Example Sentence


1. Using 'gone' & 'been' difference - Dialogue Example Sentence

a. James, where's Mary?

b. She's gone to the library. (gone = not back yet)


(a few hours later)

a. Hi Mary. Wow, so many books...

b. Haha, yeah. I've just been to the library. (been = go & come back)


a. Mum, where's dad?

b. He's gone to London. (gone, not back yet)


a. Hello, Patrick. Long time no see.

b. Yes, I've been to London. (go & come back)



9. Present Perfect Simple: More Example Sentences with Adverbs / Time Expressions:


Present Perfect Simple: Question & Answer Example A:


-Have you read this novel?

-Yeah, I've already read it twice.

-No, I haven't read it yet.

-No, never.


*Present Simple form

- Do you know this novel?


Present Perfect Simple: Question & Answer Example B:


- Ted, have you told the staff about tomorrow's event?

Yes, I've already informed them.

No, I haven't.


*Present Simple form

- Do they know about tomorrow's event?



Present Perfect Simple: Question & Answer Example C:

- Are Jane and Edwin coming to tonight's gathering?

- They haven't replied yet.

- Yes, they've just replied.



10. When to use the Present Perfect Simple Tense - More Conversation Example Sentence


Short Dialogue A - At the store


Susan: Hi Beth! Shopping alone?

Beth : Hey Susan. Yeah. Bob's gone on a business trip.

Susan: Oh, where's he now?

Beth: In Vietnam.

Susan: Nice. Is it his first time there?

Beth: No, we've been there on holiday a few times.



Speaking Practice #2


2. Short Dialogue B - At home

Speaking Practice Present Perfect Simple
Have you eaten yet?

Brian: Mum, I'm home.

Mum: (from the kitchen) Brian, have you eaten yet?

Brian: Yes, I had fried chicken for lunch. And fries, too. Beth and I did our homework after that.

Mum: Oh? What about tomorrow's spelling test? Have you studied for it yet?

Brian: Yep. We went to the library to study after lunch.

(yawns) I'm so sleepy...Oh, no. I've not ironed my school uniform for tomorrow yet.

Mum: Ok. *Go and take a nap. What would you like for dinner?

Brian: Can we have rice?

Mum: All right. *Be down by 7pm.



Grammar Point!

*Be down. (Imperative Form)

*Go and take a nap. (Imperative form)




Speaking Practice #3


Short Dialogue C - Two neighbours *are talking.


Zoe: Hey, Luke. Is Samantha around?

Luke: No, she's gone out. Oh, she's asked me to pass this to you. (hands over

a book)

Zoe: Great. Thanks. I haven't finished my class project.

By the way, have you bought her a birthday present yet?

Luke: No, not yet. But I think mum and dad bought her something yesterday.



- Grammar Point!

*are talking - Present Continuous form



Speaking Practice #4


Short dialogue D - My Diary this week


Things I haven't done

- haven't shopped for groceries.

- haven't done the laundry

- haven't bought a new dress for party


Things I've done

- have visited the dentist

- have completed the project

- have paid the bills



9. Let's recap!

We use the Present Perfect Simple to talk about past events that happened at an unspecified time






9. Review - Your spoken Present Perfect Simple grammar practice


Build your English speaking skills

Now it's your turn. Make your own sentence. Say it out loud.


A. Change the following verbs into the Present Perfect tense. Practise making your own sentences:


e.g. meet - have/has met


-I've met Alice's parents before.

-I've never met Alice's family.

-I've already met Alice's family a few times.

-I haven't met Alice's brother yet.

-Have you met her family yet?


i) Try using with these adverbs / time expressions:

-just

-already

-yet

-ever

-before

-never


1. see

2. swim

3. try

4. make

5. take


TIP!

Be creative. Make & practise as many sentences & times as you can. Write them down in your notebook.




Tip!

Tenses tell us when the event happens. Note the different tenses & uses of the verbs in the following example sentence:


TENSES POSITIVE SENTENCES

PRESENT SIMPLE I usually have pancakes for breakfast.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS I am having pancakes now.​*I'm having pancakes now.

PAST SIMPLE I had pancakes yesterday.

FUTURE

with "will, be going to" I will / 'll have pancakes later.

I am / 'm going to have pancakes for lunch.

PRESENT PERFECT I have just had pancakes.

​*I've just had pancakes.



*TIP for Better English Speaking Skills

Practise speaking using the short form for your conversations. You'll speak faster. And sound more natural.


*short form:

I am -*I'm

I have -*I've

I will -*I'll




Thanks so much for reading & Happy Speaking!


Have Questions? Contact us on the form below.




Check out these related posts:

>>The Past Perfect Tense: Basic Uses Example Sentences & Situation

>>The Past Simple Tense: How to use & Example

>>Imperatives for giving instructions + example sentence

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