Present Perfect Tense

Formula for verbs in the present perfect tense: has / have + past participle of verb
Example: has + found = He has found a chance to learn English in this class.
have + saved = They have saved enough money to go on a trip overseas.

• Some past participles of verbs are the same as their past tense forms
Base Verb dream push burn look walk
Past Tense dreamed pushed burned looked walked
Past Participle dreamed pushed burned looked walked
• Some past participles of verbs are the different compared to their past tense forms
Base Verb write take swim choose go
Past Tense wrote took swam chose went
Past Participle written taken swum chosen gone

(a) The present perfect tense shows a past action when the time is not mentioned.
Example: I have repaired the car.
They have gone to the market.
The school bus has not arrived yet.
(b) The present perfect tense with adverbs of indefinite time to show an completed
action.
Example: He has already painted the wall.
He has recently got married.
Dad has just come home.

• Adverbs of indefinite time include already, just, never/not, yet

(c) The present perfect tense can be used for an action that began in the past and is
continuing. Adverbs like since, for are usually used with it.
Example: He has been skating in the park since 10 this morning.
They have been out since last night.
I have known my best friend for more than 3 years.

• Stated after ‘since’: A definite point of time

• Stated after ‘for’: A period of time
(d) The present perfect tense is used with ‘never’ and ‘yet’ to show that an action has
not taken place up to the point of speaking.
Example: They have never been to her house.
I haven’t planned for the trip yet.
Practice 1: Put in the Present Perfect tense of the verbs in the brackets.
1. What ____________________ (happen) ? ____________________ he (hurt) himself
2. ____________________ you ____________________ (tell) your mother about it?
3. They ____________________ already ____________________ (send) in their
subscriptions for the magazines.
4. He ___________________ (not eat) breakfast yet.
5. They ____________________ (be) in and out of court since last month. Now
everything (be settled)
6. Her grandfather ____________________ just ____________________ (make) a will.
____________________ she ____________________ (hear) about it?
7. The plumber ____________________ (be) here for a while already, but he
____________________ (not start) on his work yet. He said that he
____________________ (forget) to bring a few tools.
8. That house ____________________ just ____________________ (be sold). Do you
know who ____________________ (buy) it?
9. The paintwork of the car ____________________ (be scratched). The front lamps
____________________ (be broken). Who ____________________ (do) this?
10. I ____________________ (have) an argument with him over this issue.
11. The child ____________________ (tear) his trousers on the fence. He
____________________ (scratch) himself, too.
12. The new road ____________________ (be completed), and the traffic here
____________________ (be) less heavy since then.
13. She ____________________ (take) the kettle off the stove, and she
____________________ (make) some tea. ______________ you ______________ (have)
your tea yet?
14. The gardener ____________________ (wash) the hutch and _______________ (put)
the rabbits back into it. ____________ you ___________ see them yet?
15. It ____________________ (be rumoured) that the old man ________________ (win)
first prize in the lottery. _____________ you _____________ (hear) anything about it? It
_______________ (be) a long time since he visited us.