How do we use the

PRESENT PERFECT tense?

By Lynn Mateas
 Form in the Positive
• Have + past participle
• I have studied at Algonquin college for two
weeks.
• You have never arrived on time since you started
this class.
• He has worked at that job since last July.
• We have been in this room for a while.
•
They have always taken their lunch to work .
(= since they started working there)
 Contractions
• I’ve Note: He’s =
• You’ve
1. He has
• He’s Or
• She’s 2. He is

• It’s How do you know which

one is which?
• We’ve 1. He has been (past Part.)
• They’ve 2. He is happy/
Canadian/ (adj/noun/…)
 Form in the Negative
• have + not + past participle
• = haven’t
• Don’t worry! I have not been here for
more than five minutes.
• She hasn’t lived in Ottawa for very long.
• We haven’t done much so far.
• They haven’t owned a car since they
arrived here.
 Type One – Past to Now
• We use it to tell about an action that started in
the past and continued until now. =
PAST TO NOW
Use: for or since
I have been able to drive for more than 30

years.
I haven’t eaten that food since I was young.
I haven’t seen her in a long time.
 Type Two- Past Time only
• This type is the same as the past tense. It
tells us that the action happened in the
past only, NOT NOW.

• I have visited friends in Toronto.

• I visited friends in Toronto.
 Be Careful with Type Two
Present Perfect
• You cannot say WHEN the action
happened.

• I have visited friends there last month.

WRONG
 Is this correct or wrong?

1. He has lived here before.

Correct
2. He has lived here in 1992.
Wrong
 Type Two – Using Present Perfect
in the Past (not to now)
• Recent Past – just, recently, lately
Be careful where you put them.
• I have recently read a book about the
period of King Henry VIII.
• The teacher has just come into the room.
Be quiet!
• They have been to New York lately.
 Type Two - Past
• We can also use the word already,
which means sooner than expected;
before this time.

Mary: Finish your work.

Students: We’ve already finished it.
Mary: Really? That was fast.
 Type Two Again – For Repetition
• We like to use present perfect to talk about
past repetition.

• I have flown on an airplane many times.

• However, he’s flown only once. (=one time)
• She’s never flown.
 Review
• Type One = Duration = past to and
including NOW; use for or since or in/for
a long time/short time or all my life
Eg. I have worn glasses all my life.

• Type Two = indefinite Past = past only,

not now; do not say the time or when it
happened.
Eg. I have finished my work. yesterday
 What tense should you use?
Simple past or present perfect?

1. He _______________ to Toronto.
has gone/been or went
not - was to Toronto
2. She ______________ to class five minutes
ago.
came to /went to (not arrived to)
 What tense should you use?
Simple past and/or present perfect?

1. How long _______they________ (live) in

Japan?
have they lived = are still living
there now
did they live = are not living there
now
 What tense should you use?
Simple past and/or present perfect?

1. I _____________ (go, never) to a cinema

in Ottawa.
have never gone or never went
Have never gone is best because you
still live in Ottawa and so this feels like
you are saying
I have not gone … yet. (but I may/will)
 What tense should you use?
Simple past and/or present perfect?

1. I ___________ (drive) a small car in my

country/province.
drove = in your country/province is
a specific past time
= while I was in my country
= it may not say three years
ago, but it is a specific past event
 What tense should you use?
Simple past and/or present perfect?

Mary: Hey, Joe. ___________ (finish) the

report, yet?
Have you finished / Did you finish
Have you finished is traditional
grammar, but Did you finish is modern
Joe: No, I __________ (finish), yet.
haven’t finished / didn’t finish
 Finally,
• make sure that you know all of the
irregular verbs and their spellings.
• minus ½ for each letter mistake on a test

• Fly  flew  flown

• Sit  sat  sat
• Feel  felt  felt
• Etcetera …