Present Perfect Tense in English
Present Perfect in English
1. What is the Present Perfect?
- The Present Perfect is a past tense that connects a past action to a present effect or link.
- Form: Subject + have/has + past participle
- Example:
- I have eaten.
- She has visited London.
2. When to use it?
- (a) To talk about a past experience (without a specific date)
- We don't say when it happened.
- I have been to Japan.
- She has never seen snow.
- (b) For a past action with a link to the present
- The action has consequences today.
- I have lost my keys. (I don't have them anymore.)
- He has broken his leg. (He is injured now.)
- (c) For actions started in the past and still true
- Often used with "since" or "for."
- We have lived here since 2010.
- She has worked here for five years.
3. Words often used with the Present Perfect
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|
| ever | jamais (positif) | Have you ever been to Rome? |
| never | jamais (négatif) | I have never tried sushi. |
| already | déjà | He has already finished. |
| yet | déjà / pas encore | Have you finished yet? / I haven't finished yet. |
| just | vient de | She has just arrived. |
| since | depuis (point de départ) | I've lived here since 2015. |
| for | depuis (durée) | They have worked for 2 years. |
4. Past Participle Reminder
- Regular: base + ed
- Irregular: see the lists
- go → gone
- eat → eaten
- do → done
5. Comparison with the Past Simple
| Present Perfect | Past Simple |
|---|
| Action liée au présent | Action terminée dans le passé |
| Pas de date précise | Date ou moment précis donné |
| I have seen this movie. | I saw this movie last week. |