PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE

The present perfect simple expresses an action that is still going on or that stopped recently, but has an influence on the present. It puts emphasis on the result.

Form of Present Perfect

	Positive	Negative	Question
I / you / we / they	I have spoken.	I have not spoken.	Have I spoken?
he / she / it	He has spoken.	He has not spoken.	Has he spoken?

For irregular verbs, use the participle form (see list of irregular verbs, 3rd column). For regular verbs, just add “ed”.

Exceptions in Spelling when Adding ‘ed’

Exceptions in spelling when adding ed	Example
after a final e only add d	love – loved
final consonant after a short, stressed vowel or l as final consonant after a vowel is doubled	admit – admitted travel – travelled
final y after a consonant becomes i	hurry – hurried

FUNCTIONS

•  puts emphasis on the resultExample: She has written five letters.


•  action that is still going onExample: School has not started yet.


•  action that stopped recentlyExample: She has cooked dinner.


•  finished action that has an influence on the presentExample: I have lost my key.


• action that has taken place once, never or several times before the moment of speakingExample: I have never been to Australia

Useful Tip

Time Expressions in the Present Perfect

• Use since with a specific year or a period in the past > since 2002 / since I was a child
• Use for with a number of years > for twenty years
• Use ever and yet in questions and negatives > Have you ever / hasn’t been yet
• Use already and never, just between have/has and the verb > has already finished / have just been
• Use before, since, for, already, many times, so far, yet at the end of a sentence or questions > Have you been there before?

PRACTICE…

http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/prperf1.htm
http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/tenses/present_perfect_statements.htm
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/present-perfect-simple
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfect.html
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/present-perfect-exercises.html
http://www.really-learn-english.com/present-perfect-exercises.html