Simple explanation
What is the present perfect? The present perfect is a verb form that connects a past event with the present. The action happened before now, but the experience or its result is still important now. At A2 level, two key uses are especially useful: talking about experiences in your life and talking about past actions that have a present result. How do you form the present perfect? Use have or has followed by the past participle of the main verb. Use have with I, you, we, and they. Use has with he, she, and it. Regular verbs usually have an -ed past participle, such as worked, cleaned, and visited. Irregular verbs have special forms that need to be learned, such as see – saw – seen, go – went – gone, and break – broke – broken. Use 1: Life experiences Use the present perfect when you want to say that someone has or has not had an experience at some time before now. The exact time is not important or is not mentioned. For example, I have visited London tells us about an experience, but it does not tell us exactly when the visit happened. Using ever and never for experiences Ever is common in questions about experiences and means at any time before now. It normally comes before the past participle: Have you ever tried sushi? Never means that something has not happened at any time before now: I have never tried sushi. Because never already has a negative meaning, do not normally add not to the same statement. Use 2: A past action with a result now Use the present perfect when something happened in the past but its result is important now. For example, I have lost my keys means the keys were lost before now, but the important point is the present situation: I do not have them now. This connection with the present is the reason for choosing the present perfect. Negative sentences To make the present perfect negative, put not after have or has. Have not is usually shortened to haven't, and has not is usually shortened to hasn't in everyday English. The past participle does not change: I haven't finished. She hasn't arrived. Questions To make a yes/no question, move have or has before the subject. The structure is Have/Has + subject + past participle. For example: Have you finished? Has Emma arrived? For questions about life experiences, ever is often added before the past participle. Present perfect or simple past? Do not normally use the present perfect with a finished past time such as yesterday, last night, or last year. Compare I have visited Rome with I visited Rome last year. The first sentence presents Rome as a life experience without saying when. The second gives a specific finished past time, so the simple past is used.
Grammar formula
Affirmative
Subject + have/has + past participleShe has finished her homework.
Negative
Subject + have/has + not + past participleThey haven't finished their homework.
Yes/no question
Have/Has + subject + past participle?Have you finished your homework?
Experience question with ever
Have/Has + subject + ever + past participle?Have you ever visited Scotland?
Experience with never
Subject + have/has + never + past participleHe has never traveled by plane.
Core rules
- 1
Choose have or has from the subject
Use have with I, you, we, and they. Use has with he, she, and it. The main verb then appears as a past participle.
- 2
Use a past participle after have or has
The main verb cannot stay in its base form or simple past form. Say She has finished and He has seen it, not She has finish or He has saw it.
- 3
Use the present perfect for experiences without a specific past time
When the important information is whether an experience has happened before now, use the present perfect: I have traveled by plane.
- 4
Use the present perfect when a past action has an important result now
The action happened before the present moment, but its result matters now: Tom has broken his glasses. The glasses are now broken.
- 5
Put not after have or has for negatives
Use subject + have/has + not + past participle. In everyday English, haven't and hasn't are the usual short forms.
- 6
Put have or has before the subject in questions
Use Have/Has + subject + past participle: Have they arrived? Has she finished?
- 7
Use the simple past with a specific finished past time
Expressions such as yesterday, last weekend, and in 2024 normally require the simple past because they identify a finished past time.
Useful examples
I have visited London twice.
I went to London two times at some point before now.
This describes life experience. The exact dates of the visits are not given.
Have you ever tried Thai food?
At any time in your life until now, have you tried Thai food?
Ever is used to ask whether the experience has happened before now.
She has never traveled alone.
She has not traveled alone at any time in her life until now.
Never expresses an experience that has not happened.
We have seen this movie before.
This is not the first time we have seen this movie.
The experience is important, not the exact time when the movie was previously seen.
My parents have visited Canada.
My parents have had the experience of going to Canada.
No specific past time is mentioned.
I have lost my wallet.
My wallet is missing now because I lost it earlier.
The past action has an important present result.
Anna has broken her phone.
Anna's phone is broken now because she damaged it.
The current condition of the phone is the important result.
The bus has arrived.
The bus is here now because it has reached its destination.
The arrival happened before now, and its result matters in the present.
He hasn't finished his homework.
His homework is still not complete.
Hasn't is the short form of has not.
We haven't cleaned the kitchen.
The kitchen is still not cleaned because we have not done the job.
The unfinished action has a relevant situation now.
Has Emma found her bag?
Is Emma's bag no longer missing because she found it?
Has comes before the subject in the question, and found is the past participle of find.
Have they finished the project?
Is their project complete now?
Have is used with they, followed by the past participle finished.
Common mistakes
- ❌ She have visited Paris. ✅ She has visited Paris. Use has with he, she, and it.
- ❌ I have went to Italy. ✅ I have been to Italy. After have or has, use a past participle. For a completed visit as a life experience, have been to is a natural expression.
- ❌ He has finish his homework. ✅ He has finished his homework. The verb after has must be a past participle. The past participle of finish is finished.
- ❌ Has she saw this movie? ✅ Has she seen this movie? Saw is the simple past form of see. The past participle required after has is seen.
- ❌ I haven't never tried sushi. ✅ I have never tried sushi. Never already gives the sentence a negative meaning, so an additional not is not normally used in standard English.
- ❌ I have seen him yesterday. ✅ I saw him yesterday. Yesterday is a specific finished past time, so the simple past is normally used.
- ❌ Did you ever visited London? ✅ Have you ever visited London? When asking about a life experience up to the present, use Have + subject + ever + past participle.
Learning tips
- First choose have or has by checking the subject.
- Always check the main verb after have or has: it must be a past participle.
- For life experiences, ask yourself whether the exact past time matters. If it does not, the present perfect may be appropriate.
- Learn common irregular verbs in three forms, such as see – saw – seen, go – went – gone, and do – did – done.
- Use ever mainly in questions about experiences and never to say that an experience has not happened before now.
- If you see a finished time expression such as yesterday or last year, check whether the simple past is needed instead.
- In everyday speech and informal writing, contractions such as I've, she's, haven't, and hasn't are very common.
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PlannedRelated grammar
Related dictionary words
Frequently asked questions
When do I use have and when do I use has?
Use have with I, you, we, and they. Use has with he, she, and it. Both are followed by the past participle of the main verb.
Why is I have went incorrect?
Went is the simple past form of go. After have or has, you need the past participle. The three forms are go – went – gone.
What is the basic difference between the present perfect and the simple past?
The present perfect often connects a past event or experience to the present and does not normally specify a finished past time. The simple past describes an event in a finished past period, especially when that time is stated.
Can I use the present perfect with yesterday?
Normally, no. Yesterday refers to a specific finished past time, so the simple past is usually used: I saw her yesterday.
Where do ever and never go in a present perfect sentence?
Ever commonly appears before the past participle in questions: Have you ever seen it? Never appears after have or has and before the past participle: I have never seen it.
Do all past participles end in -ed?
No. Regular verbs usually form the past participle with -ed, but many common verbs are irregular. Examples include seen, gone, done, written, found, and broken.
Can I use the present perfect to say how many times I have done something?
Yes. When you count experiences up to the present without giving a specific finished past time, the present perfect is natural: I have visited London three times.