Dominate the Present Perfect Tense

Present Perfect Tense

Explanation:

The present perfect tense is used to talk about actions that happened at some unspecified time before now. The exact time is not important. We also use it to talk about actions that started in the past and continue to the present.

 

present perfect form and structure

• • Positive: Subject + have/has + past participle
  • I/You/We/They have eaten.
  • He/She/It has eaten.
  • Negative: Subject + have/has + not + past participle
  • I/You/We/They have not (haven’t) eaten.

 

• He/She/It has not (hasn’t) eaten.
• Questions: Have/Has + subject + past participle
• Have I/you/we/they eaten?
• Has he/she/it eaten?

 

Present perfect tense examples and sentences:

• I have finished my homework.
• She has visited London.
• We have seen that movie.
• They have gone to the store.
• He has eaten breakfast.
• You have read that book.
• The dog has run away.
• The children have played outside.
• She has written a letter.
• We have lived here for five years.

 

Signal Words for the Present Perfect Tense

Signal words help indicate that the Present Perfect tense should be used. Below are explanations for common signal words used with the Present Perfect tense, complete with examples and exercises.

Just

Explanation: Used to indicate that something happened a very short time ago.

Examples:

– I have just finished my homework.
– She has just arrived at the airport.

Exercise:

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb and “just.”

1. They _______ (arrive) home.
2. He _______ (see) the movie.

Yet

Explanation: Used in questions and negative sentences to indicate that something has not happened by a certain time.

Examples:

– Have you finished your project yet?
– She hasn’t called me yet.

Exercise:

Form questions and negative sentences using “yet.”

1. You / finish / your homework?
2. She / not / buy / a new car.

Never

Explanation: Used to indicate that something has not happened at any time up to now.

Examples:

– I have never been to Japan.
– He has never eaten sushi.

Exercise:

Rewrite the sentences using “never.”

1. I have not seen such a beautiful place before.
2. They have not tried skydiving.

Already

Explanation: Used to indicate that something happened sooner than expected or earlier than now.

Examples:

– They have already left the party.
– She has already completed the assignment.

Exercise:

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb and “already.”

1. We _______ (see) this movie.
2. He _______ (finish) his dinner.

Ever

Explanation: Used in questions and affirmative sentences to indicate any time up to now.

Examples:

– Have you ever been to Paris?
– She has ever been the best student in the class.

Exercise:

Form questions and affirmative sentences using “ever.”

1. You / visit / Australia?
2. He / be / late for work?

So far

Explanation: Used to indicate the period from the past until now.

Examples:

– We have collected $500 so far.
– She has written three chapters of her book so far.

Exercise:

Complete the sentences using “so far.”

1. They _______ (raise) enough money.
2. He _______ (complete) two reports.

Up to now

Explanation: Similar to “so far,” used to indicate the period from the past until now.

Examples:

– Up to now, they have lived in three different countries.
– She has visited five museums up to now.

Exercise:

Rewrite the sentences using “up to now.”

1. I have attended five classes so far.
2. He has not made any mistakes.

Recently

Explanation: Used to indicate that something happened not long ago.

Examples:

– She has recently started a new job.
– They have recently moved to a new house.

Exercise:

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb and “recently.”

1. We _______ (meet) our new neighbor.
2. He _______ (buy) a new computer.

Since

Explanation: Used to indicate the starting point of an action that continues up to now.

Examples:

– I have lived here since 2010.
– She has been studying English since she was a child.

Exercise:

Complete the sentences using “since.”

1. They _______ (be) friends since high school.
2. He _______ (work) here since January.

For

Explanation: Used to indicate the duration of an action up to now.

Examples:

– I have known her for ten years.
– They have been married for five years.

Exercise:

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb and “for.”

1. She _______ (live) in Paris for two months.
2. He _______ (study) English for three years.

Practice Section

Now it’s your turn! Use the signal words given above to complete the following sentences:

1. She _______ (not finish) her homework _______.
2. I _______ (just receive) a call from my friend.
3. We _______ (know) each other _______ 2012.
4. He _______ (never eat) sushi before.
5. Have you _______ (visit) the new museum?
6. They _______ (collect) $200 _______.
7. She _______ (move) to a new city _______.

This section will enhance your understanding and usage of the Present Perfect tense, making your learning experience comprehensive and practical. Happy learning!

Short Story:

Maria is a student. She has lived in Madrid for five years. She has learned a lot about Spanish culture. Maria has visited many places in Spain. She has eaten traditional Spanish food and has made many friends. Maria has also studied Spanish. She has improved her language skills a lot. Her friends have helped her practice. Maria’s family has come to visit her several times. They have enjoyed their time in Spain. Maria has had a great experience living in Madrid.

 

Exercises:

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in present perfect:

• I __ (see) that movie.
• He __ (finish) his homework.
• They __ (visit) the museum.
• She __ (read) the book.
• We __ (go) to the park.
• The cat __ (eat) its food.
• You __ (buy) a new car.
• The students __ (learn) a lot.
• My brother __ (make) a cake.
• The dog __ (run) away.

 

Convert the sentences to negative form:

• I have seen that movie.

• I __ that movie.

• He has finished his homework.

• He __ his homework.

• They have visited the museum.

• They __ the museum.

• She has read the book.

• She __ the book.

• We have gone to the park.

• We __ to the park.

 

Form questions:

• I have seen that movie.

• _ you _ that movie?

• He has finished his homework.

• _ he _ his homework?

• They have visited the museum.

• _ they _ the museum?

• She has read the book.

• _ she _ the book?

• We have gone to the park.

• _ we _ to the park?

 

Answer the following questions in present perfect:

• Have you ever traveled to another country?

• Yes, I __.
• No, I __.

• Has she ever eaten sushi?

• Yes, she __.
• No, she __.

• Have they ever played soccer?

• Yes, they __.
• No, they __.

• Have you ever read a Harry Potter book?

• Yes, I __.
• No, I __.

• Has he ever seen a lion?

• Yes, he __.
• No, he __.

 

Additional Practice:

• Write five sentences using the present perfect tense about your own experiences.
• Ask your partner five questions using the present perfect tense and answer their questions.

By practicing the present perfect tense in these different ways, you’ll get a better understanding of how it works and when to use it.

 

Answers:

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in present perfect:

• I have seen (see) that movie.
• He has finished (finish) his homework.
• They have visited (visit) the museum.
• She has read (read) the book.
• We have gone (go) to the park.
• The cat has eaten (eat) its food.
• You have bought (buy) a new car.
• The students have learned (learn) a lot.
• My brother has made (make) a cake.
• The dog has run (run) away.

 

Convert the sentences to negative form:

• I have seen that movie.

• I have not seen that movie.

• He has finished his homework.

• He has not finished his homework.

• They have visited the museum.

• They have not visited the museum.

• She has read the book.

• She has not read the book.

• We have gone to the park.

• We have not gone to the park.

 

Form questions:

• I have seen that movie.

• Have you seen that movie?

• He has finished his homework.

• Has he finished his homework?

• They have visited the museum.

• Have they visited the museum?

• She has read the book.

• Has she read the book?

• We have gone to the park.

• Have we gone to the park?

 

Answer the following questions in present perfect:

• Have you ever traveled to another country?

• Yes, I have.
• No, I haven’t.

• Has she ever eaten sushi?

• Yes, she has.
• No, she hasn’t.

• Have they ever played soccer?

• Yes, they have.
• No, they haven’t.

• Have you ever read a Harry Potter book?

• Yes, I have.
• No, I haven’t.

• Has he ever seen a lion?

• Yes, he has.
• No, he hasn’t.
  
  
  

  Si quieres aprender más sobre la gramática del inglés, consulta el Pasado Simple y el Presente Simple en Ingles4all.org.