Present Perfect (basics)
The present perfect uses have or has plus the past participle to talk about past actions that matter now, life experiences, and recent news. Use it when the exact time is not important.
How to make it: have/has + past participle
To form the present perfect, use have or has with the past participle of the verb. Use has with he, she, and it; use have with I, you, we, and they. Regular participles end in -ed (worked, played), but many common verbs are irregular (go/gone, see/seen, do/done, eat/eaten, be/been).
- •I have finished my homework.
- •She has eaten breakfast.
- •We have seen this film.
- •They have gone to school.
Result now and life experience (ever/never)
We use the present perfect when a past action has a result that matters now. We also use it to talk about life experience, often with ever in questions and never in negatives. Here we do not say the exact time.
- •I have lost my keys, so I can't open the door.
- •Have you ever been to London?
- •She has never eaten sushi.
- •He has done this job before.
Recent actions: just, already, yet
Use just for something that happened a very short time ago, and already for something finished sooner than expected. Use yet in questions and negatives to talk about something we expect to happen. Note: with a finished time like yesterday we use the past simple, not the present perfect.
- •I have just finished lunch.
- •She has already done her homework.
- •Have you called him yet?
- •They haven't arrived yet.