Present Perfect Tense: Rules, Uses, and Common Mistakes

English Grammar: The Present Perfect Tense

Level: intermediate (B1) / upper-intermediate (B2)

This is a complete guide to the present perfect for intermediate and upper-intermediate English learners. It is divided into five main sections:

1. Summary

2. Introduction

3. Grammar Rules

4. Uses

5. Common Mistakes

For a quick review of the present perfect, read the summary. For more details and explanations, take your time and read the complete guide. Finally, if you are looking for present perfect speaking practice, explore this page of 100+ present perfect conversation questions. For more present perfect resources, scroll to the bottom of this guide.

SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

• The present perfect connects the past and the present. It is used for past actions or events that still affect the present, such as life experiences (I have been to New York) or recent events (The game has just finished).

GRAMMAR RULES

• Sentence structure: subject + have/has (not/never) + past participle

  • She has never smoked.

• Question structure: (question word) + have/has + subject + (not/ever/never) + past participle

  • What have you asked them?

  • Has she decided which one to buy?

• Passive structure: subject + have/has (not/never) + been + past participle

  • I've been offered a promotion at work.

  USES

• The present perfect can be used to talk about:

  • 1. Life experiences at any time before now

    • He hasn't seen Titanic.

    • We have visited that museum before.

    • Have you ever been to Spain? (questions = ever)

    • She has never eaten sushi. (negatives = never)

    2. Unfinished actions continuing to the present

    • They have been married for fifty years. (for + duration)

    • We have been friends since high school. (since + starting period or the last time something happened)

    • He hasn't texted me in ten days. (in + duration, usually with negative sentences)

    3. Recent actions with present results

    • The computer has crashed. You can't use it right now.

    4. Actions during the current period

    • I haven't seen Gina today. Have you?

    5. Changes over time

    • Your English has really improved.

    • People have become less social in recent years.

    6. Achievements, accomplishments, and news

    • Tom has completed his university degree!

    • A volcano has erupted in Southeast Asia.

    7. Repeated or multiple past actions

    • I've read that book three times.

    • We've tried many different solutions.

    8. Recent and expected actions with just, yet, and already.

    • I have just reserved two nights at a hotel. (very recent action)

    • She hasn't finished her homework yet. (expected but incomplete action)

    • We've already talked about it. (action completed earlier than expected or before now)

  COMMON MISTAKES

• Mistake 1: "I have seen him yesterday." Don't use time words like yesterday with the present perfect. Use the past simple instead: "I saw him yesterday."

• Mistake 2: "We are together since 2015." Use the present perfect to talk about duration: "We have been together since 2015."

• Mistake 3: "She has saw that movie before." The present perfect needs a past participle, not a past simple verb: "She has seen that movie before."

• Mistake 4: "I have lived in Cairo in 2010." Use the past simple for finished actions that mention a specific time period in the past: "I lived in Cairo in 2010."

• Mistake 5: "We have lived here since two years." Use for with durations and since with starting periods or the last time something happened: "We have lived here for two years" or "I haven't seen him since high school."

• Mistake 6: "I have been knowing her for a long time." Some verbs describe states and are not usually used in continuous forms: "I have known her for a long time."

INTRODUCTION

Present Perfect Tense: Rules, Uses, and Common Mistakes

Well, have you?

If you have opened this page, it is because you are curious about the present perfect tense. That's good! The present perfect is one of the most common English tenses. For example, you have probably seen or heard sentences like, "I have never been to Iceland" or "I have just finished my homework." Maybe you even know why we use the present perfect in these cases.

But do you know all its uses?

In general, we use the present perfect to connect past actions or events with the present, showing how they affect what is happening now. It is especially useful for talking about life experiences, recent actions, changes over time, and unfinished actions that continue until now.

In this guide, you will learn how to form affirmative, negative, and question sentences in the present perfect, how to use it correctly in different situations, and how to avoid the most common mistakes English learners make with this tense.

Let’s start by looking at some examples of the present perfect and how it is structured.

GRAMMAR RULES

What is the structure of the present perfect?

I'm sure you have heard it, too!

Here are five examples of the present perfect. How are they the same? How are they different?

• He has worked here for five years.

• She hasn't seen him all day.

• Have you sent the email yet?

• Where have you been?

• I've been given another chance.

Did you notice what is the same about all of these examples? That's right. The present perfect always uses have as an auxiliary verb, and a past participle verb as a main verb. In the first example, "He has worked here for five years," have is the auxiliary verb, and worked is the main verb.

Now, what is different about the five examples? They all show different forms of the present perfect, including the affirmative, negative, yes/no interrogative, open question interrogative, and the passive. Let's look at those forms and some more examples now.

Present perfect affirmative

subject + have/has + past participle

• He has cleaned the bathroom. (I can see that the bathroom is clean.)

• I have been to Vietnam several times. (This is part of my life experience.)

• Bobby has done a lot of work today. (The day is not finished yet.)

Present perfect negative

subject + have/has + not/never + past participle

• We haven't seen Matilda all week. (From earlier in the week until now.)

• Camilla has never watched a vampire movie. (We are describing her life experience.)

• My dog hasn't gone on a walk this morning. (The morning isn't finished yet.)

Present perfect yes/no questions

have/has + subject + (not/never/ever) + past participle

• Have you taken your medicine today? (Today is not finished yet.)

• Have they made a decision yet? (We expect them to make a decision soon.)

• Has it stopped raining? (It was raining before. Is it still raining now?)

Present perfect open questions / wh-questions

question word or phrase + have/has + subject + (not/never/ever) + past participle

• Where have you been? (From the last time I saw you until now.)

• What have you done today? (From the start of the day until now.)

• How many times have you called them so far? (From the first phone call until the most recent one.)

Present perfect passive

subject + have/has + (not/never) + been + past participle

• I've been given some new responsibilities at work. (This happened recently.)

• Their team has been humiliated again and again. (This happened multiple times.)

• The money hasn't been found yet. (We are still looking for the money.)

A note on contractions

Notice the use of contractions between the subject and the verb have in some examples. In spoken English, it is much more common to use and hear the contracted forms I've, you've, he's, she's, it's, we've, and they've when using the present perfect. For present perfect negatives, have is usually contracted with not in speaking, so have not and has not are usually said as haven't and hasn't.

You can also contract wh- questions with have and has. For example, what's or what've for what has or what have, or how's and how've for how has and how have.

"How do I know if an English speaker is contracting is or has when they say 'what's' or 'where's'?"

Context. The context of the speaker's sentence will tell you. For example, if someone says, "What's your name?", they are clearly using is. If someone says, "What's he done?" they are using has because you can identify the past participle, done. Like all skills, it just takes consistent practice to improve.

Here is an easy-to-use chart to help you remember the present perfect forms we have just looked at.

Present Perfect Forms (Summary Chart)

Form	Structure	Examples
Affirmative	subject + have/has + past participle	I have read that book. She has finished her homework.
Negative	subject + have/has + not/never + past participle	They haven’t visited us this year. He has never eaten sushi.
Yes/No Questions	have/has + subject + past participle	Have you called her yet? Has the bus left the station?
Open Questions	question word + have/has + subject + past participle	Why have you thrown out your lunch? What has she done today?
Passive	subject + have/has + been + past participle	The report has been written. The bathroom hasn’t been cleaned this month.

Now that the structure is clear, you might be asking, "Okay, but when do I actually use the present perfect? And how is it different from the past simple?" That's what we will look at next.

USES

How do you use the present perfect?

At the beginning of this guide, we learned that the present perfect connects the past with the present. But what does that actually mean? To understand this, we need to learn how the present perfect is used in English communication. The reality is that it has multiple uses. Are you ready to learn them? Here we go.

The following is a detailed list of present perfect uses.

1. The present perfect for life experiences and events at any time before now

   

   Where have you never been?

Have you seen any of the Toy Story movies? Which countries have you visited? These are just two examples of life experiences that we can talk about with the present perfect. When we use the present perfect to talk about our life experiences, we do not care when something happened in the past. We just care that it happened at any time before now. This is why we do not use past time words and phrases like yesterday, on Monday, or at 3 o'clock when we use the present perfect.

Let's look at some examples.

• I haven't met a famous person in my entire life. (From the time I was born until now.)

• Have you eaten at this restaurant before? (At any time before now.)

• She has owned three cars in her life. (Maybe she will buy more cars in the future.)

• Have you met Jamie? (At any time before this conversation.)

• We haven't been here before. (This is our first time in this place.)

As you can see, you can use the word before, or a phrase like in my entire life to talk about the general past. When you want to talk about the specific past with words like yesterday, use the past simple instead. For example, it is incorrect to say, "I have seen him yesterday." In this case, you must say, "I saw him yesterday." When you talk about a finished, one-time action, especially if you mention a specific past time, use the past simple, not the present perfect. Here is a brief dialogue to illustrate the difference between the present perfect and the past simple:

Lydia: Where should we go for lunch?

Dan: I'd like to try the new Korean place. Have you been there before?

Lydia: Yes, I have. It's very good, but I don't want to go there because I had Korean food two days ago.

Dan: Oh, okay. How about the pizza place? Have you eaten there?

Lydia: Yes, I've been there before, but I can't even remember the last time I had pizza.

Dan: Pizza it is! Let's go.

Notice that when Lydia talks about experiences that happened at or during a specific time in the past, such as the last time she had Korean food--two days ago--and the last time she had pizza, she uses the past simple. However, when Dan and Lydia talk about their experiences at any time before now without mentioning a finished time in the past, they use the present perfect, as in, "Have you eaten there?" or "Yes, I've been there before." The lesson here is simple: Use the present perfect for experiences that happened at some point in the past (we don't care when), and use the past simple for experiences that happened at a specific point in the past (the context tells us when).

Moving on, two words that are commonly used to talk about life experiences with the present perfect are ever and never. Ever is typically used for questions, and never is typically used for negatives. They add emphasis to conversations about life experiences. Here are some examples:

• Have you ever been to a rock concert?

• I've never traveled by boat.

• What has she ever done for you?

• We have never seen the Northern Lights.

Of course, you can remove the word ever from the two questions above, but the feeling is less intense. "Have you been to a rock concert?" is softer than "Have you ever been to a rock concert?" When you use ever in a present perfect question, you are emphasizing and asking if someone has done or experienced something in their entire life.

It is the same idea with never in negative sentences. The word never means not in my entire life. Here are three brief dialogues to emphasize the use of ever and never.

Husband: Have you ever wanted to have another child?

Wife: Are you serious? We already have three, so no, I've never wanted to have another child!

Friend 1: My boyfriend has never seen a Star Wars movie. Can you believe it?

Friend 2: I've never seen one either.

Friend 1: What?!

Travel advisor: Have you ever been to South America?

Customer: No, never. Honestly, I've never been south of Mexico.

Finally, it is important to mention that it is possible to use ever in affirmative sentences. This is usually done with superlatives, as in, "This is the best pizza I've ever had," which means, "This is the best pizza I have had in my entire life," but ever is still more frequently used in questions.

So, can you ever use time words with the present perfect? Let's find out.

2. The present perfect for unfinished actions and events (using "for" and "since")

How long have you lived in your country?

How long have you known your best friend? When did you start being friends? You can use the present perfect to talk about both of these things. Remember, the present perfect connects the past with the present. This means you can use the present perfect to talk about something that started in the past and has continued until present. Another way to think about this is that an action started in the past and is still happening now. We usually use time markers with this usage.

Using for and since with the present perfect

For and since are very commonly used with the present perfect to show time. Before we look at any examples, we need to remember two things.

1. For is used with duration (for one hour, for six days, for five years, etc.)

2. Since is used with starting periods or the last time something happened (since last week, since Monday, since 2015, etc.)

So, let's return to the question at the start of this section: How long have you known your best friend? Here are two ways you can answer this question:

• I have known my best friend for 20 years.

• I have known my best friend since 2005.

Simple, right? Use for with durations, including phrases like for a long time, and use since with starting points or the last time something happened. In this case, your friend is still your friend today, and they will probably continue to be your friend tomorrow. To help you practice this present perfect usage, answer these two questions:

How long have you been on this webpage today?

I have been on this webpage for...

I have been on this webpage since...

How long have you been at your current school or job? (If you do not have a job at the moment, you can say, "I have been unemployed [for/since]...")

I have been at my current [school/job] for...

I have been at my current [school/job] since...

In addition to for, you can use in to talk about duration. This is usually done for negative sentences. Take a look:

• He hasn't texted me in a week.

• They haven't seen each other in three months.

For is possible in these cases, but in is also common. Let's continue to the next usage.

3. The present perfect for recent actions and events with present results

Has this ever happened to you?

You can use the present perfect to talk about something that has happened recently, and which has an effect on the present. For example, if your car runs out of gas, you can say, "The car has run out of gas." This happened a few seconds ago. What is the present result of this event? Obviously, now you cannot drive. Here are some other examples of the present perfect for actions or events in the recent past which have present results:

• I have found my keys! (I didn't have my keys before. I have them now.)

• It has stopped raining. (It was raining before. It isn't raining now.)

• He has fallen asleep. (He wasn't sleeping before. He is sleeping now.)

• The computer has crashed. (It was working before. It isn't working now.)

In short, if you did something in the recent past and it has an effect on the present, you can use the present perfect. There is just thing to note about this usage.

Present perfect in British English vs. American English

This present perfect usage is more common in British English. In North American English, people usually use the past simple to talk about things that happened in the recent past. For example, while a person in England is more likely to say, "I have called the doctor" after ending a phone call with their doctor, a person in Canada or the United States is more likely to say, "I called the doctor" in this case. Honestly, both are fine and people will understand you no matter what, but try to use the one that is more common where you are living now.

Next, let's talk about using the present perfect in the present.

4. The present perfect for actions and events during the current period

Have you eaten today? (Answer with "Yes, I have" or "No, I haven't.")

Because the present perfect connects the past to the present, we can use it with present words like today, this morning, this afternoon, and tonight—if we are currently in the middle of one of those times. For example:

• I have drunk two cups of coffee this morning. (It is still the morning.)

• Have you seen Shane today? (Today is not finished; I might still see Shane later.)

• She has worked hard all day. (From the start of the day until now.)

• I haven't eaten anything all day. (From the start of the day until now.)

Essentially, when we use the present perfect in this way, it means that a period is not finished or that something is still possible during this period. Of course, if someone asks you a question like, "Have you talked to Jane today?", you can answer with, "Yes. I talked to her this morning" to refer to the specific time in the past in which you spoke to her.

To practice this usage, answer the following question: What have you done today? Think about everything you have done from the beginning of the day until now, and use the present perfect in your response. Once you have done this, continue to usage 5.

5. The present perfect for changes over time

How have you changed over the past twelve months?

Life is all about change. You are not the same person today that you were ten years ago. What has changed during that time? You can use the present perfect to talk about changes over a period of time--something that is different now than it was in the past. This can include physical changes, skill developments, belief changes, or anything else that has evolved in a positive, negative, or neutral way. Here are some examples of this usage:

• Your English has really improved.

• My dad has lost twenty pounds.

• The roads in the city have become worse.

• I think people have become less social in recent decades.

• The number of car accidents has decreased.

You can use negatives to talk about how something or someone hasn't changed as well. For instance, "He hasn't changed since high school" or "I haven't lost any weight since joining the gym."

Before you go on, answer these two questions to practice:

1. How has the world improved in the last 100 years?

2. How has the world worsened in the last 100 years?

Have you finished? Good. Now, let's talk about achievements, accomplishments, and news.

6. The present perfect for achievements, accomplishments, and news

She has done it!

This category is a mix of life experiences and recent events, but it deserves its own section because it is so specific. In short, you can use the present perfect to talk about important events in the world and in people's lives. A longer way to say this is that you can use the present perfect to talk about achievements, accomplishments, and news. Here are some example sentences:

• Mack and Trisha have had a baby! (This is big news!)

• Have you passed your driving test? (I want to know if you have achieved this goal.)

• A volcano has erupted in Southeast Asia. (This is recent news.)

• Have you heard the news? Barbara and Charlie have got divorced. (This is new information.)

• Congratulations! I heard you have received your black belt in karate. (This is a major accomplishment! Good job!)

To practice this usage, think about recent events in the news. Has anything major happened recently? For example, "A new president has been elected in my country." (Remember, you can use the passive with the present perfect as well!)

Now, let's talk about repeated or multiple actions with the present perfect.

7. The present perfect for repeated or multiple past actions

How many times have you read your favourite book or watched your favourite movie?

One of my favourite movies is The Princess Bride. I have seen it at least a dozen times in my life, maybe more. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend that you do.

Did you notice how I used the present perfect in the paragraph above? Yes, I used it to talk about one of my life experiences, but I specifically used it to talk about an experience that I repeated multiple times, and that I will probably repeat again in the future because that's how much I enjoy The Princess Bride as a movie.

"Alex, stop talking about this movie. Can you please just focus on the present perfect?" Okay, dear reader...

This is a friendly reminder that movies are a great way to learn a new language.

The present perfect can be used to talk about the number of times something has happened from the past until now. You can use it for repeated actions or a series of different actions. Look at these examples to see what I mean:

• I've read that book three times. (I have repeated the act of reading the book three times.)

• We've tried many different solutions. (We have tried multiple solutions.)

• She has called three different restaurants, and all of them are full. (She has called multiple restaurants.)

• I've been to Toronto four times this year. (I have repeated this action four times during the current year.)

• The city has repaired that road at least three times in the past two years. (And they will probably have to repair it again based on the current frequency.)

Answer these questions to practice this present perfect usage:

1. Think about a movie you have watched more than once. How many times have you watched it?

2. How many times have you checked your phone today?

3. How many computers have you owned in your life?

Are you ready to continue? We have just one more usage to discuss.

8. The present perfect for recent and expected actions with just, yet, and already

Congratulations! You have just read this sentence!

Adverbs of time and frequency love the present perfect. We have already seen a lot of them in this guide. Three of the most common adverbs that can be used with the present perfect are just, yet, and already. These are used for recent or expected actions. Here are three examples and usage explanations for these common words:

• I have just reserved two nights at a hotel.

  • Just is used for very recent actions or actions immediately before the moment of speaking. It is most commonly used in affirmative sentences and is rarely used in questions or negatives.

• She hasn't finished her homework yet.

  • Yet is used for actions that we expect to be done, but that usually haven't been done before the moment of speaking. It is most common in negatives and questions, as in, "Have you washed the dishes yet?"

• We've already talked about it.

  • Already is used for actions that are completed earlier than expected or before the moment of speaking. It is most common in affirmative sentences. It is possible to use already in questions, but yet is usually preferred.

If you don't understand this usage yet, re-read the examples and explanations that I have already given and that you have just read.

Other adverbs commonly used with the present perfect:

recently, lately, so far, always, finally

Here are five more adverbs that you can use with the present perfect, along with brief explanations of how they are used. All of these adverbs can be used in affirmatives, negatives, and questions.

• Have you called your mom recently?

  • Have you called her in the recent past?

• We haven't seen each other lately.

  • We haven't seen each other in recent times. Lately refers to a recent period of time and usually refers to continuous or repeated actions, while recently usually refers to one-time actions.

• Our vacation has been great so far!

  • From the time it started until now, it has been great. Maybe things will change in the future, but until this moment, we have had a great vacation.

• Dana has always loved Tim.

  • Dana has loved Tim for as long as she has known him. Always is the opposite of never.

• The fire has finally been extinguished.

  • After a long process or period of waiting, the fire has been extinguished by the firefighters. Finally!

That's it! You have done it! But wait, there is one more section. I promise you that it won't take too long.

COMMON MISTAKES

What mistakes do English learners make with the present perfect?

If you have, don't worry. You're not alone.

Mistakes are part of the learning process. A mistake is not a personal failure: It is an opportunity to grow and develop your skills. Here are six of the most common mistakes that English learners make with the present perfect--and how to fix them!

Mistake 1: I have called him yesterday.

Remember, past time words and phrases like yesterday, last night, or at noon are not used with the present perfect. For finished, one-time actions that were completed at a specific time in the past, you must use the past simple instead.

Correction 1: I called him yesterday.

Mistake 2: We live here since 2023.

If you want to talk about the duration of something that started in the past and has continued until the present, you have to use the present perfect, not the present simple.

Correction 2: We have lived here since 2023.

Mistake 3: She has did the dishes.

The structure of the present perfect is have + a past participle verb. Do not use past simple verbs with the present perfect--use past participles.

Correction 3: She has done the dishes.

Mistake 4: He has finished university in 2024.

This is similar to Mistake 1. If you mention a specific past time period, such as in 2024 or in January, do not use the present perfect even if you mention a specific achievement. Use the past simple instead.

Correction 4: He finished university in 2024.

Mistake 5: He has lived in Cambodia since two years.

Remember: Use for with durations and since with starting periods or the last time something happened. Here is a quick learning tip to help you remember when to use these words: Just remember one of them! If you remember that for is used with duration, it will be easier to remember how to use since.

Correction 5: Has has lived in Cambodia for two years. OR, He has lived in Cambodia since 2023.

Mistake 6: I have been knowing him for a long time.

Sometimes, learners try to use the present perfect continuous when they should use the present perfect. One way to tell the difference between the present perfect and the present perfect continuous is to remember that some verbs describe states and are not usually used in continuous forms. Here are some of those verbs: know, understand, seem, remain, appear, want, prefer.

Correction 6: I have known her for a long time.

Before you finish, can you fix these mistakes? Check the answers at the bottom of the page.

1. I have knew her for a long time.

2. They are together since last year.

3. My mom has worked there since two years.

4. She has been receiving her university degree.

5. The store has closed at 5 o'clock.

6. They have bought a new car in April.

Conclusion: How to Use the Present Perfect

The present perfect is one of the most frequently used tenses in English. It helps English speakers to connect the past to the present. We need it for many things, particularly to talk about our life experiences, changes over time, and recent or unfinished actions. With regular practice, you can master this essential English tense.

If you found this page useful, or if you have any questions about it, please feel free to email me: alex@englishalex.com. I spent around 10 hours writing this resource for English learners and teachers, and I would love to hear your feedback on it!

Finally, if you think my work is useful and valuable, please consider supporting me by purchasing one of my books. If you have read this far, you are a truly dedicated English learner or teacher, and I appreciate you for taking the time to learn with me today. I hope to see you again! Until next time, keep learning, and keep practicing.

Related Pages

100+ Present Perfect Conversation Questions

The Present Perfect with Unfinished Time (video and quiz)

21 Common Present Perfect Questions (video and quiz)

How to Use "Since" and "For" with the Present Perfect (video and quiz)

100+ Present Perfect Continuous Conversation Questions

"Can you fix these mistakes?" Answers

1. I have known her for a long time.

2. They have been together since last year.

3. My mom has worked there for two years.

4. She has received her university degree.

5. The store closed at 5 o'clock.

6. They bought a new car in April.