Hello English learners! Are you ready to understand and use the Present Perfect Tense? This grammar lesson is perfect for beginners (A1+ level) who want to speak English more confidently. We will explain what it is, how to make it, and when to use it in everyday conversations. Let’s get started!

What is the Present Perfect Tense?

The Present Perfect Tense is a verb tense in English that connects the past to the present. It talks about actions that happened at an unspecified time before now, and are still important or relevant now. It’s not really about when something happened, but that it happened and its effect on the present.

Think of it like this: you did something in the past, and now there’s a result in the present. Or you have experiences from your past that are still part of who you are now.

How to Form the Present Perfect Tense

Making the Present Perfect Tense is quite simple! You need two parts:

1. have or has (the auxiliary verb)
2. past participle of the main verb

Using “have” and “has”

We use “have” with:

• I (I have)
• You (You have)
• We (We have)
• They (They have)

We use “has” with:

• He (He has)
• She (She has)
• It (It has)

Forming the Past Participle

For regular verbs, the past participle is usually the same as the simple past form. You just add “-ed” to the base verb (like “walk” – “walked“).

For example:

• walk – walked
• play – played
• watch – watched
• study – studied

But, English also has many irregular verbs! Irregular verbs have different past participle forms that you need to learn. Here are a few common irregular verbs:

• go – gone
• eat – eaten
• see – seen
• be – been
• do – done
• have – had
• write – written

Don’t worry about memorizing all of them right away! You will learn them gradually as you practice English grammar and spoken English.

When to Use the Present Perfect Tense

Now, let’s look at the most common situations where we use the Present Perfect Tense. Understanding these situations will help you use it correctly in your spoken English practice.

1. Life Experiences (Up to Now)

We use the Present Perfect to talk about experiences in our lives up to the present moment. The exact time is not important. We are interested in whether you have or haven’t had the experience.

Examples:

• I have traveled to many countries. (This is an experience in my life.)
• Have you eaten sushi before? (Asking about a life experience.)
• She has never seen snow. (An experience she hasn’t had.)
• We have visited that museum twice. (An experience we repeated.)

Notice we don’t say when we traveled, ate sushi, or visited the museum. The focus is on the experience itself.

2. Unfinished Time Periods (This week, today, this year, etc.)

We use the Present Perfect when we are talking about a time period that is not finished yet (like today, this week, this month, this year). The action happened within this unfinished period.

Examples:

• I have drunk three cups of coffee today. (Today is not finished yet.)
• She has studied a lot this week. (This week is still ongoing.)
• We haven’t seen him this month. (This month is not over.)
• They have worked hard this year. (This year is still in progress.)

If the time period is finished (yesterday, last week, in 2020), we use the Simple Past Tense, not the Present Perfect.

3. Recent Past Actions with Present Results

Sometimes, we use the Present Perfect to talk about actions that happened very recently, and the result is important or visible now. It often implies that the action has just finished.

Examples:

• I have lost my keys! (The result is I can’t open the door now.)
• She has broken her leg. (The result is her leg is in a cast now.)
• They have won the game! (The result is they are celebrating now.)
• He has finished his homework. (The result is he is free to relax now.)

In these cases, the action is in the recent past, and we can see or feel the result in the present.

Common Mistakes with the Present Perfect Tense

For English learners, especially at the A1+ level, there are some common mistakes to avoid when using the Present Perfect Tense:

• Using it with finished time expressions: Don’t use the Present Perfect with specific finished times like “yesterday,” “last week,” “in 2023,” “two years ago.” Use the Simple Past Tense for those.
  Incorrect: I have seen that movie yesterday.
  Correct: I saw that movie yesterday.
• Confusing it with Simple Past for recent actions: While both can talk about the past, remember the Present Perfect often connects to the present. If you just want to say something happened at a specific time in the past, use Simple Past. If the result is important now, consider Present Perfect.

Let’s Practice!

Now it’s time to practice! Complete these exercises to test your understanding of the Present Perfect Tense.

Fill in the Blanks

Use the Present Perfect Tense of the verb in parentheses to complete the sentences.

1. I ___________ (visit) Paris twice.
2. She ___________ (not finish) her work yet.
3. We ___________ (eat) all the cake!
4. ___________ you ever ___________ (be) to London?
5. He ___________ (lose) his wallet.

Transformations

Rewrite these sentences using the Present Perfect Tense.

1. I saw that movie last year. (Focus on the experience up to now)
2. Did you read that book? (Ask about experience up to now)
3. She went to the store this morning. (Focus on being back now, action completed recently)
4. They didn’t clean their room. (Focus on the current state of the room)
5. He finished his dinner. (Focus on being finished now)

Answers

Check your answers below:

Fill in the Blanks Answers:

1. I have visited Paris twice.
2. She has not finished her work yet.
3. We have eaten all the cake!
4. Have you ever been to London?
5. He has lost his wallet.

Transformations Answers:

1. I have seen that movie before.
2. Have you read that book yet? / Have you ever read that book?
3. She has been to the store this morning. (Implies she is back now)
4. They haven’t cleaned their room.
5. He has finished his dinner.

Practice Speaking with Lingofrnd

Learning grammar is important, but the best way to improve your English is to speak! Practice using the Present Perfect Tense in your conversations. Talk about your life experiences, things you have done this week, or recent actions with present results.

For more English grammar lessons and to practice your spoken English, visit Lingofrnd.com. Lingofrnd is your AI spoken English teacher, ready to help you practice the Present Perfect Tense and many other grammar topics. Build your speaking confidence today!

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