It’s important to remember that “have” is used with first-person pronouns (I, we) and second-person pronouns (you), while” has” is used with third-person singular pronouns (he, she, it) and singular nouns.

Also, the past participle of regular verbs is formed by adding -ed to the base form of the verb, while irregular verbs have their own unique forms.

Form	Example sentence
Affirmative	I have finished my work.
Negative	She has not visited Europe before.
Question	Have you seen this movie already?
Negative Question	Haven’t you been to Paris before?
Short answers	Yes, I have. No, he hasn’t.

The formation of the Present Perfect tense in English involves using the auxiliary verb have or has and the past participle of the main verb.

The past participle is formed by adding -ed to regular verbs or using the third column of the irregular verbs.

Usage:

Completed actions with a connection to the present:

The Present Perfect is often used to talk about actions that started in the past and have been completed at some point before the present moment.

For example, I have already eaten breakfast. (The action of eating breakfast is complete, but it is still relevant to the present moment.)

She has finished her work. (The action of finishing her work is complete, but it is still relevant to the present moment.)

Unspecified time in the past:

The Present Perfect can be used when talking about an action that happened at an unspecified time in the past.For example:

I have visited Paris several times. (The speaker doesn’t specify exactly when they visited Paris, only that it has happened multiple times.)

Recent past:

The Present Perfect can be used to talk about actions that happened in the recent past.

For example, He has just left the office. (The action of leaving the office happened very recently.)

Life experiences:

The Present Perfect can be used to talk about experiences that someone has had in their life.

For example, I have never ridden a motorcycle before. (The speaker is talking about their entire life up to this point.)

Actions that started in the past and continue into the present:

The Present Perfect can be used to talk about actions that started in the past and continue up to the present moment.

For example, I have lived in this city for five years. (The action of living in the city started five years ago and continues up to the present moment.)

It’s important to remember that the Present Perfect is used to describe actions that have a connection to the present moment in some way.

Common situations with the Present Perfect :

Situation	Example sentence
Completed actions with a connection to the present	I have finished my work.
Unspecified time in the past	She has travelled to Europe several times.
Recent past	They have just arrived at the airport.
Life experiences	We have never been to Asia before.
Actions that started in the past and continue	He has worked at the company for 10 years.
Result of past action with present relevance	She has lost her keys, so she can’t drive home.
Multiple actions that have happened at different times	I have seen that movie twice.

These situations can include completed actions with a connection to the present, unspecified time in the past, recent past, life experiences, actions that started in the past and continue, the result of past actions with present relevance, and multiple actions that have happened at different times.

Adverbs and words for Present Perfect:

Ever: This adverb is often used in questions to ask if someone has had a certain experience in their life.

For example, Have you ever travelled abroad?

Just: This adverb is often used to talk about actions that happened very recently.

For example, They have just arrived at the restaurant.

Already: This adverb is often used to talk about actions that have already happened before a certain point in time.

For example, I have already eaten breakfast.

Yet: This adverb is often used in negative statements and questions to indicate that an action hasn’t happened up to a certain point in time.

For example, She hasn’t finished her homework yet.

Before: This word is often used to talk about experiences or actions that have happened at some point in the past.

For example, Have you been to that restaurant before?

Never: This word is often used to talk about experiences or actions that someone has never had or done in their life.

For example, I have never been skydiving.

For: This word is often used to indicate the duration of an action that started in the past and continues up to the present moment.

For example, She has lived in this city for five years.

This month/year: These phrases are used to indicate that an action has happened within the current month or year.

I have read three books this month.

She has travelled to three different countries this year.

Today: This adverb is used to indicate that an action has happened on the same day as the present moment.

For example, He has already had three meetings today.

Since: This preposition is used to indicate the starting point of an action that has continued up to the present moment.

For example, I have been learning Spanish since I was in high school.

Lately: This adverb is used to describe actions that have happened in the recent past, often within the past few weeks or months.

For example, I have been feeling really tired lately.

She has been studying a lot lately.

Recently: This adverb is used to describe actions that have happened in the recent past, but the time frame can be a bit broader than lately.

For example, Have you seen that movie recently?

He has travelled to several different countries recently.

Since can be used as both a particle and a conjunction with the Present Perfect tense.

Since as a particle: when used as a particle, since is followed by a specific point in time to indicate the starting point of an action that has continued up to the present moment.

For example, I have been working on this project since last month.

She has been living in this city since 2010.

Since as a conjunction: when used as a conjunction, since is used to introduce a clause that describes an action that started in the past and has continued up to the present moment.

For example, I haven’t seen her since she moved to California.

He has been working from home since the pandemic started.

In both cases, since is used to indicate a starting point for an action that has continued up to the present moment.

There are some verbs that are not typically used in the continuous form (ing ending) but can still be used to express duration in the Present Perfect tense.

These are often called stative verbs, which refer to a state or condition rather than an action.

Common stative verbs include:

Like, love, hate, prefer, want, need, know, understand, remember, forget, believe, doubt, feel, seem, appear

For example,

Instead of saying I have been knowing him for three years, which is not grammatically correct, you can say

I have known him for three years to express the duration of the relationship.

In general, it’s important to remember that the Present Perfect continuous is used to describe ongoing actions, while the Present Perfect can be used to describe both completed actions and ongoing states or conditions, including those expressed by stative verbs.

However, in some cases, using the Present Perfect to describe duration can sound awkward or unnatural, so it’s important to choose the right tense based on the intended meaning and context.

Present Perfect with adverbial clauses of time and condition:

In adverbial clauses of time and condition, after the adverbs and words such as when, as soon as, after, until/till, if, the Present Perfect is typically used instead of the Future Perfect in the subordinate clauses; the Future Simple or the Present Simple are used in the main clauses.

Examples:

Present perfect: When I have finished my work, I will go to the gym. (This means that the speaker is currently working and will go to the gym after finishing their work.)

Present Perfect: After I have eaten dinner, I usually watch TV. (This means that the speaker has a habit of watching TV after eating dinner, and is currently talking about their routine.)

Present Perfect: As soon as I have finished this book, I will start the next one. (This means that the speaker is currently reading a book and will start the next book immediately after finishing it.)

Present Perfect: I will work on this project until/till I have finished it. (This means that the speaker will continue to work on the project until it is completed, and is currently talking about their plan.)

Present Perfect: If it has stopped raining by that time, I will go for a run. (This means that the speaker may or may not go for a run because of the rain and is currently talking about their plans.)

Click here The Present Perfect tense

Click here The Future Continuous in the Past

Click here The Future Continuous tense

Click here The Present Continuous tense

Click here The Future Indefinite in the Past

Click here The Future Indefinite tense ( the Future Simple)

Click here The Past Indefinite Tense ( The Past Simple)

Click here The Present Indefinite Tense (the Present Simple)

Click here The Indicative Mood – the Active Voice

The Infinitive-Non-Finite form of the Verb

English Ordinal Numerals

I wish, Would, and If Only in Conditionals