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Present Perfect Tense
 
 
 
PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

Present Perfect Tense in English Grammar

What is Present Perfect Tense?

"Present perfect tense shows the action that happened in the past and continues into the present."

Present perfect tense is used when there is a connection with the past and with the present. It is used when the action is complete or has ended. The exact time when the action happened is not important and hence, it is not mentioned in this tense.

Basic Structure of Present Perfect tense:

• Structure for Present Perfect •

Subject Auxiliary verb Main verb
subject has / have past participle
I have gone to college.

• Structure for Negative sentence •

Subject Auxiliary verb Main verb
subject has/have + not past participle
I have not gone to college.

• Structure for interrogative sentence •

Auxiliary verb Subject Main verb
has / have subject past participle
Have you gone to college?

We normally use the present perfect tense to:

• talk about experience,
• talk about change,
• talk about continuing situation.

USES OF PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
To indicate completed activities in the immediate past:
Examples:
  • • He has just gone out.
  • • It has just struck ten.
  • • I have just met Virat Kohli.
To express past actions whose time is not given and not definite:
Example:
  • • Have you read ‘Gulliver’s’ Travels?
  • • I have never known him to be angry.
  • • She's studied French and English.
To describe past events when we think more of their effect in the present than of the action itself:
Examples:
  • • I have finished my work. (= now I am free).
  • • Gopi has eaten all the biscuits (i. e. there aren’t any left for you).
  • • I have cut my finger. (and it is bleeding now/ I can not do work now).
To denote an action beginning at time in the past and continuing up to the present moment:
Examples:
  • • I have known him for a long time.
  • • He has ill health since last week.
  • • I have worked here since June.
Usage of present perfect tense with 'for' and 'since'

We can also use 'for' and 'since' with the present perfect tense.

(a) For

We use 'for' to talk about a period of time - 15 minutes, 3 weeks, 5 years.

Examples:
  • • Maya hasn't called for 3 months.
  • • I have been here for 15 minutes.
  • • He has worked in Australia for a long time.
(b) Since

We use 'since' to talk about a point in past time-7 o'clock, 1st June, Wednesday.

Examples:
  • • I have been here since 10 o'clock.
  • • Smita hasn't called since February.
  • • She has worked in Canada since he left high school.
Adverbs (or adverbs phrases) used with Present Perfect Tense

The following adverbs (or adverbs phrases) can be used with the present perfect:

Adverbs Verbs Examples
Adverbs phrases just, often, never, ever (in question only), so far, till now, yet (in negative and question), already, since-phrases, for today, this week, this month, etc.
Note: the Present Perfect is never used with adverbs of past time. We should not say, e.g., “He has gone to Calcutta yesterday.” In such cases Simple Past should be used (“He went to Calcutta yesterday.”)
PRESENT PERFECT TENSE TABLE
Present Perfect Tense Table
AFFIRMATIVE
  • I have gone.
  • You have gone.
  • We have gone.
  • He/She has gone.
  • They have gone.
NEGATIVE
  • I have not gone.
  • You have not gone.
  • We have not gone.
  • He/She has not gone.
  • They have not gone.
INTERROGATIVE
  • Have I gone?
  • Have you gone?
  • Have we gone?
  • Has he/she gone?
  • Have they gone?

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