Grammar. Present Perfect Simple

Form: have/has  verb  ed (past participle)

Positive and negative

I We You They	‘ve (have) worked haven’t worked	in the factory
He She It	‘s (has) worked hasn’t worked	in the factory

Question

Have	I we you they	been to the United States ?
Has	he she it	been to the United States ?

Short answer

“Have you been to Egypt?”

“Yes, I have.”/ “No, I haven’t.”

“Has she ever written poetry?”

“Yes, she has. / No, she hasn’t.”

Use

The Present Perfect relates past actions and states to the present. It looks back from the present into the past, and expresses what has happened before now.

I’ve met a lot of famous people. (before now)

She’s lived here all her life. (up to the present, and probably in the future)

Here are two main uses of the Present perfect:

1 to express an action in the past. We are interested in the experience as part of someone’s life.

I’ve travelled a lot in Africa.

They’ve lined all over the world.

Ever and never are common with this use.

Have you ever been in a car crash?

My mother has never flown in a plane.

2 to express an action or state which began in the past and continues to the present.

I’ve known Alice for six years.

How long have you worked as a teacher?

For and since are common in this use. We use for with a period of time, and since with a point of time.

We’ve lived here for two years.

I’ve had a beard since I left the army.

Note the adverbs that are common in use.

I haven't done my homework yet. (Negative)

Has the postman been yet? (Question)

I've already done my homework..

I've just seen the letter. Now where did I put it?

Present Perfect and Past Simple

Look at the use of the Present Perfect and the Past Simple in the following sentences.

I’ve lived in Rome fro six months. (I still do.)

I lived in London for a year. (Now I live somewhere else, not in London.)

Sally’s written several books. (She’s still alive.)

Shakespeare wrote many plays. (He is dead.)

Exercise 1

Make the following sentences negative and interrogative.

1. I’ve already posted the letter.

2. She has already started her new job.

3. He’s gone to America.

4. They have visited India twice.

5. He has smoked five cigarettes today.

6. My mother has always worked hard.

7. Tom has lost all his money.

8. Mr. Jenkins has just retired from his job.

9. They’ve always been too strict with their children.

10. I’ve written ten postcards.

Exercise 2

Ask questions to the underlined parts of the following sentences.

1. I have read the book twice.

2. I have known him for three years.

3. He has finished his work already.

4. She’s typed two letters since morning.

5. He has gone to the USA.

6. She hasn’t written to him for years.

7. I’ve been late several times this month, I think.

8. We haven’t heard from him since 1992.