I Swear English › Verb Tenses › Present Perfect Simple
How to form the present perfect simple
How To Form The Present Perfect Simple:
For positive statements take a subject (I, tomorrow, my friends...) then use the auxiliary verb to have in the corresponding form of the present simple (have, has) and then use the past participle formed by taking the infinitive without to and adding ...ed for regular verbs (walked, talked, jumped, constructed), or using the word in column 3 for irregular verbs (eaten, seen, understood). Put all this together: I have constructed. The dog has eaten. Be careful to use has with third person singular. Notice the contractions I've and he's. To make negatives place not after the auxiliary have or has. I have not constructed. The dog has not eaten. Notice the contractions I haven't and he hasn't. So make questions interchange the positions of the subject and the auxiliary have or has. Have I constructed? Has the dog eaten? If you wish you can place a question word (who, what when...) before the auxiliary have. What have I constructed? What has the dog eaten? The table below sets out the form of the present perfect simple:
| Affirmative | Negative | Interrogative |
|---|---|---|
| I have constructed | I have not constructed | Have I constructed? |
| You have constructed | You have not constructed | Have you constructed? |
| He has constructed | He has not constructed | Has he constructed? |
| She has constructed | She has not constructed | Has she constructed? |
| It has constructed | It has not constructed | Has it constructed? |
| We have constructed | We have not constructed | Have we constructed? |
| You have constructed | You have not constructed | Have you constructed? |
| They have constructed | They have not constructed | Have they constructed? |
The following video explains how to form the Present Perfect Simple:
When to use it
- Past actions with a result now. I've lost my keys (so I can't get in).
- Life experience, with ever / never. Have you ever been to Japan?
- Unfinished time periods. I've had three coffees today.
- Recent news with just, and already / yet. She's just left. Have you finished yet?
Signal words & time expressions: just, already, yet, ever, never, so far, recently, lately, since, for, this week
Watch the video lesson
Video transcript
Common mistakes to avoid
| Not quite… | Better |
|---|---|
| I've seen him | I saw him yesterday. — with a finished time use the past simple, not the present perfect. |
| I've lived here | I've lived here for three years. — use for + a length of time, since + a starting point. |
Frequently asked questions
‘Since’ or ‘for’?
Use for with a period (for two weeks, for years) and since with a point in time (since Monday, since 2019).
Present perfect or past simple?
If the exact finished time matters, use the past simple. If you mean ‘at some point up to now’ or there's a present result, use the present perfect.
Continue the course
This lesson is part of our free English Verb Tenses course — work through it in order or jump to what you need next.