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Present Perfect Grammar

What is the present perfect tense?

The present perfect is a tense in English grammar which we normally use to talk about actions that happened in the past which affect the present.

The time when the action happened is normally not important but we just want to know if the action has happened or not.

Examples:

He has been to China.

I have eaten at this restaurant before.

Have you put away the dishes yet?

Why do we use the present perfect tense?

We use the present perfect to talk about:

experiences;
something that happened in the past which affects the present;
something that started in the past and continues until now;
time periods that have not finished.

1. Experiences

Examples:

He has been to China.

They have never eaten squid.

Have you ever seen that movie?

2. Something that happened in the past which affects the present

Examples:

I have lost my keys!

Have you found my passport?

I think she has gone to the bank.

3. Something that started in the past which continues until now

Examples:

They have known each other for ten years.

Have you worked there for more than five years?

He has been married for seven years.

4. Time periods that have not finished

Examples:

I haven’t seen her today.

He has worked hard this week.

Have you been on holiday this year?

How do I make the present perfect tense?

Positive sentences

Subject + have / has + past participle

Examples:

I have eaten there.

He has watched the movie.

They have seen her new dog.

Negative sentences

Subject + have not / has not + past participle

Examples:

I have not eaten there.

He has not watched the movie.

They have not seen her new dog.

Questions

Have / has + subject + past participle

Examples:

Have you eaten there?

He has watched the movie?

Have they seen her new dog?

What is a past participle?

A past participle is a form of a verb which we normally use with perfect tenses.

What are some common examples of past participles?

What's the difference between 'been' and 'gone'?

Been normally means when someone goes to a place and comes back.

Example:

He has been to China.

Is he in China now?

No.

Gone normally means when someone goes to a place and is still at that place now.

Example:

He has gone to China.

Where is he now?

He is in China.

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