Present Perfect

The present perfect simple expresses an action that is still going on or that stopped

recently, but has an influence on the present. It puts emphasis on the result.

Form of Present Perfect

Positive Negative Question

I / you / we / they I have

spoken.

I have not

spoken.

Have I

spoken?

he / she / it He has

spoken.

He has not

spoken.

Has he

spoken?

For irregular verbs, use the participle form. For regular verbs, just add “ed”.

Exceptions in Spelling when Adding ‘ed’

Exceptions in spelling when adding ed Example

after a final e only add d love – loved

final consonant after a short, stressed vowel

or l as final consonant after a vowel is

doubled

admit – admitted

travel – travelled

final y after a consonant becomes i hurry – hurried

Use of Present Perfect

puts emphasis on the result

Example: She has written five letters.

action that is still going on

Example: School has not started yet.

action that stopped recently

Example: She has cooked dinner.

finished action that has an influence on the present

Example: I have lost my key.

action that has taken place once, never or several times before the moment of speaking

Example: I have never been to Australia.

Signal Words of Present Perfect

already, ever, just, never, not yet, so far, till now, up to now

Exercise on Present Perfect Simple

1.- Exceptions in Spelling when adding ‚ed‘

Write the participle form (3rd form) of the regular verbs. Note the exceptions in spelling when adding

‚ed„.

1) use -______________________

2) try -_______________________

3) carry -_____________________

4) dance -____________________

5) cycle -____________________

6) travel -____________________

2.- Have or has

Fill the gaps with 'have' or 'has'.

1) I ________________answered the question.

2) She _______________opened the window.

3) They ________________called us.

4) You ________________carried a box.

5) It _________________rained a lot.

6) We _________________washed the car.

7) He ________________closed the window.

8) Jenny _______________locked the door.

9) The girls ________________visited the museum.

10) John and Sophie______________ helped in the garden.

3.- Positive Sentences in Present Perfect Simple

Write positive sentences in present perfect simple

The following people have just completed an action. (Add “just”)

1) Bob / visit / his grandma____________________________________________

2) Jimmy / play / on the computer_______________________________________

3) Sue and Walter / wash / their car______________________________________

4) Andrew / repair / his bike___________________________________________

5) Phil / help / Anne with maths_________________________________________

6) Brad and Louise / watch / a film_______________________________________

7) Tamara / talk to / her best friend______________________________________

8) Bridgette / draw / a picture___________________________________________

9) Carol / read / a computer magazine_____________________________________

10) Tom and Alice / be / to a restaurant____________________________________

4.- Negative Sentences in Present Perfect Simple

Write negative sentences in present perfect simple.

The weather was wonderful today. So the children were in the park all afternoon and have not done

their household chores:

1) Sarah / not / wash the dishes_______________________________________________

2) Anita / not / clean the kitchen______________________________________________

3) Maureen and Gavin / not / water the plants___________________________________

4) Joey / not / make his bed_________________________________________________

5) David / not / buy milk____________________________________________________

6) Lisa / not / be to the baker's_______________________________________________

7) Aran and Jack / not / do their homework_____________________________________

8) Jane and Ben / not / tidy up their rooms______________________________________

9) Alex / not / feed the hamster_______________________________________________

10) Hazel / not / empty the bin________________________________________________

5.- Questions in Present Perfect Simple

Write sentences in present perfect simple. Place 'never' before the main verb.

In a contest, people get the chance to do something they've never done before. This is what the

participants told the jury:

1) Fergal / never / sail / on the Pacific.

____________________________________________________________________________

2) Rebecca / never / stay / at a five-star hotel

____________________________________________________________________________

3) Jason / never / watch / a world-cup final

____________________________________________________________________________

4) Rachel and Gareth / never / climb / Mount Kilimanjaro

____________________________________________________________________________

5) Elaine / never / see / a whale

____________________________________________________________________________

6) Ruth / never / spend / her holiday in Mexico

____________________________________________________________________________

7) Connor / never / be / to Canada

____________________________________________________________________________

8) Lisa and Holly / never / cycle / around England

____________________________________________________________________________

9) Barry / never / drive / a Ferrari

____________________________________________________________________________

10) Clare / never / meet / Mickey Mouse

____________________________________________________________________________

6.- Questions in Present Perfect Simple

Write questions in present perfect simple.

1) you / answer / the question ____________________________________________________

2) Jenny / lock / the door________________________________________________________

3) Walter / call / us_____________________________________________________________

4) you / see / the picture_________________________________________________________

5) your parents / get / the letter____________________________________________________

6) it / rain / a lot_______________________________________________________________

7) how often / we / sing / the song_________________________________________________

8) Maureen / watch / the film_____________________________________________________

9) how many books / Bob / read___________________________________________________

10) ever / you / be / to London_____________________________________________________

6.- Questions with Interrogative Particles in Present Perfect Simple

Ask for the information in the bold part of the sentence.

1) I have been in the garden.

______________________________________________________________________________

2) My sister has cooked dinner.

______________________________________________________________________________ 3) Sue has read the book twice.

______________________________________________________________________________

4) My computer has crashed.

______________________________________________________________________________ 5) Jeane has been on holiday for eight days.

______________________________________________________________________________

6) Fred has done his homework.

______________________________________________________________________________

7) Gavin has stopped at the corner.

______________________________________________________________________________

8) Sarah has bought five books.

______________________________________________________________________________

9) Jason has talked to his teacher.

______________________________________________________________________________

10) Catherine has cleaned the house because she is having a party tonight.

______________________________________________________________________________

7.- Put the verbs into the correct form (present perfect simple).

1) I (not / work)_______________________________ today.

2) We (buy)________________________________ a new lamp.

3) We (not / plan)________________________________ our holiday yet.

4) Where (be / you)___________________________________?

5) He (write)____________________________________ five letters.

6) She (not / see)_____________________________________ him for a long time.

7) (be / you)______________________________________ at school?

8) School (not / start)_____________________________________ yet.

9) (speak / he)______________________________________ to his boss?

10) No, he (have / not)____________________________________ the time yet.

8.- Write down the correct form (pronoun + verb).

Simple Past Present Perfect Simple

I / open

he / write

they / do

you / swim

she / give

9.- When do we use which tense?

1) 'Already' is a signal word for ___________________________________________

2) 'Just' is a signal word for _______________________________________________

3) '2 years ago' is a signal word for _________________________________________

4) 'Yet' is a signal word for _______________________________________________

5) 'Yesterday' is a signal word for __________________________________________

10.- Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).

1) Mary (win)__________________________________ the lottery last year.

2) We (prepare / already) ___________________________________ dinner.

3) James (find) _________________________________ your ring in the garden yesterday.

4) He (come / just) ____________________________________ home.

5) They (buy) _______________________________________ their car two years ago.

11.- Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).

1) I (see / not) ______________________________________ anyone yet.

2) Phil (go / not) ___________________________________ to the cinema last night.

3) We (be / not) _____________________________________ to the zoo so far.

4) She (arrive / not) ___________________________________________ yet.

5) Emily (visit / not) _________________________________________ me last week.

12.- Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).

1) (you / read) ______________________________________________- the book yet?

2) How many letters (they / write) _______________________________________so far?

3) When (he / tell) _________________________________________________you that?

4) (you / be) _______________________________________________-at home last night?

5) How often (you / travel) ____________________________________-abroad till now?

13.- Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).

1) A: (you / taste / ever) _______________________________ sushi?

2) B: Yes, I (eat) ________________________________ sushi at least five times so far.

3) A: When (you / eat) _________________________________ sushi for the first time?

4) B: I (eat) _______________________________ sushi for the first time on my dad's 50th

birthday. He (invite) ______________________________the whole family to a Japanese

restaurant.

5) A: (you / like) __________________________ it?

6) B: Absolutely. In fact, it (be) ____________________________so good that we (be)

_________________________to that restaurant three times yet. And on my mum's birthday, we

(order) ____________________________some sushi and (have)

_____________________________it at home.

14.- Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).

1) Last week I (be) ____________very busy and I (have not) ___________________the time to do

a lot in the household.

2) On Monday I (work) _________________________________three hours overtime and (come)

__________________________________home very late in the evening.

3) From Tuesday to Thursday I (be) _____________________________-on a business trip.

4) On Friday I (go) _______________________ to a friend's birthday party and at the weekend I

(visit) __________________________ my grandparents.

5) Tomorrow some friends are coming over. I (see / not)

________________________________them for ages and they (be / never)

____________________________________ at my place before.

6) I (clean / just) __________________________________________my house so I can show them

around. Now everything is perfect.