The Present Perfect Simple - Structure

Here's how we form the present perfect simple:

have / has + past participle

For regular verbs the past participle is the same as the simple past (basic verb + - ed).

For irregular verbs see the third column of the List of Irregular Verbs

A. AFFIRMATIVE

I have eaten / I've eaten

You have eaten / you've eaten

He has eaten / he's eaten

She has eaten / she's eaten

It has eaten / it's eaten

We have eaten / we've eaten

You have eaten / you've eaten

They have eaten / they've eaten

B. Negative

I have not eaten / I haven't eaten

You have not eaten / you haven't eaten

He has not eaten / he hasn't eaten

She has not eaten / she hasn't eaten

It has not eaten / it hasn't eaten

We have not eaten / we haven't eaten

You have not eaten / you haven't eaten

They have not eaten / they haven't eaten

C. Interrogative (?)

Have I eaten?

Have you eaten?

Has he eaten?

Has she eaten?

Has it eaten?

Have we eaten?

Have you eaten?

Have they eaten?

Common Time Expressions Used with the Present Perfect Simple

1. already - used in affirmative sentences and usually placed between have/has and the past participle ~ I've already had lunch.
2. yet - used in negative sentences and in questions / always placed at the end of the sentence. ~ Have you had lunch yet? / No, I haven't had lunch yet.
3. since = from a certain period of time in the past up till now ~ I have known George since 2003.
4. for = covering a period of time from the past up till now ~ I have known George for seven years.
5. never - in negative sentences with a positive verb ~ I've never eaten snails NOT I haven't never eaten snails.
6. ever - in interrogative sentences only (questions) ~ Have you ever eaten snails? NOT Have you never eaten snails?
7. just - in positive sentences mostly to say that a past action has only just finished ~ Joanna has just gone out. / Peter has just emailed me.

USE

The present perfect simple is used to talk about past actions whose result is obvious in the present or about past actions which occurred at an unstated past time but whose results have some connection with the present. But I'll say more about the use when comparing the simple past and the present perfect in the next lesson.

Examples:

• I've sent three emails so far.
• Sue has bought a new car. (= unstated past time / Sue bought the car in the past but she's still got it now)
• I haven't been to Sweden yet.
• My sister has just painted her room pink.
• I've seen wolves in that forest. (= unstated past time / if you go to that forest now you will see the wolves. They're still there.)