We use the present perfect tense to talk about

things that happened at some time in the past

and have a connection to the present.

He has lived in Sha Tin for twenty years.

She has taken art lessons for two months.

I have drunk five glasses of water since lunch.

The present perfect form of a verb is made up
of two parts.

Positive statements are formed like this.

Subject have/has Past participle
I
You
have finished.
We
They
He/She/It has eaten.
Negative statements are formed like this.
not
Ù
I have finished.
Negative statements are formed like this.

I have not/haven’t finished.

not
Ù
You have finished.
Negative statements are formed like this.

I have not/haven’t finished.

You have not/haven’t finished.

not
Ù
She has finished.
Negative statements are formed like this.

I have not/haven’t finished.

You have not/haven’t finished.

She has not/hasn’t finished.

Questions are formed like this.

I have finished. Have I finished?

You have finished. Have you finished?

She has finished. Has she finished?

We often use the following words with the
present perfect tense.
already ever for just since yet
Which word is followed by a certain time since
in the past?

We have been to the airport five times since July.

I haven’t seen Helen since last summer.
We often use the following words with the
present perfect tense.
already ever for just since yet
Which word is followed by a length of time? for
I have been a member of the Drama Club for three years.
She hasn’t written to me for a year.
We often use the following words with the
present perfect tense.
already ever for just since yet
Which word is often used with negative yet
statements and questions when the action has
happened already or we expect it to happen
soon?
Have you done your Maths homework yet?
Has your brother taken his driving test yet?
My parents haven’t signed my report card yet.
I haven’t had lunch yet.
Yet usually goes at the end of the question or negative
statement.
We often use the following words with the
present perfect tense.
already ever for just since yet
Which other word is often used with the ever
present perfect tense in questions?
ever
Ù
Have you travelled on a motorbike?
We often use the following words with the
present perfect tense.
already ever for just since yet
Which other word is often used with the ever
present perfect tense in questions?

Have you ever travelled on a motorbike?

ever
Ù
Has he invited you out for lunch?
We often use the following words with the
present perfect tense.
already ever for just since yet
Which other word is often used with the ever
present perfect tense in questions?

Have you ever travelled on a motorbike?

Has he ever invited you out for lunch?

We put ever between the subject and the main verb.

If the answer is negative, we can use
have/has never + past participle. It means
‘not at any time’.

Have you ever been to Tokyo Disneyland?

Yes, I have.
No, I have not/haven’t. or
No, I have/’ve never been to Tokyo Disneyland.

Has he ever taken cooking lessons?

Yes, he has.
No, he has not/hasn’t. or
No, he has/’s never taken cooking lessons.
We often use the following words with the
present perfect tense.
already ever for just since yet
Which word shows that an action just
was completed a short time ago?
just
Ù
They have finished the project.
We often use the following words with the
present perfect tense.
already ever for just since yet
Which word shows that an action just
was completed a short time ago?

They have just finished the project.

just
Ù
Mum has come home.
We often use the following words with the
present perfect tense.
already ever for just since yet
Which word shows that an action just
was completed a short time ago?

They have just finished the project.

Mum has just come home.

We put just between have/has and the main verb.

We often use the following words with the
present perfect tense.
already ever for just since yet
Which word is used in positive statements already
to stress that something has happened?
already
Ù
Karen has left Hong Kong.
We often use the following words with the
present perfect tense.
already ever for just since yet
Which word is used in positive statements already
to stress that something has happened?

Karen has already left Hong Kong.

already
Ù
I have seen the new film.
We often use the following words with the
present perfect tense.
already ever for just since yet
Which word is used in positive statements already
to stress that something has happened?

Karen has already left Hong Kong.

I have seen the new film already.

We put already between have/has and the

main verb, or at the end of the sentence.
Practice
Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the
simple past tense or present perfect tense of the verbs in brackets.
Write in a subject if necessary.

1 Have you seen (you / see) my school bag? I left (I / leave) it on my desk a
minute ago and it’s gone now.
2 A fire broke out (break out) in our building last night. All the residents
had (have) to leave their homes and wait in the street. Luckily, no one
was (be) injured.
3 I have just come (I / come) back from my holiday. I went (I / go) to
Hawaii with my friends.
4 My dad has been (be) a chef for twenty years. He was (he / be) a teacher
before he became (he / become) a chef.
5 Have you ever tried (you / try) duck’s tongues? I have never had (I /
have) any and I don’t want to try.
 What do you need
the Present Perfect for ?

• to tell what you have done recently/ lately.

• to tell what you have just or already done.
• to tell what you have never/ ever done.
• to tell what you have done so far/ up to now.
• to tell what you have done today/ this week/
this month/ this year.
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What is so confusing about it ?
• It can describe either
present or past
activities !

• There is no similar
grammatical item in
Polish !

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 How can you form
the Present Perfect?
Positive I, you, we , they, have done
sentence he, she, it, has worked

Negative I, you, we , they, haven’t done

sentence he, she, it, hasn’t worked
Question Have I, you,we, they, done?
Has he, she, it worked?

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Why don’t you try some
exercises?

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 Choose the correct answer.

• Peter ........never • Peter ........ has

watched „Maja bee”. never watched
• A) had „Maja Bee”.
• B) have
• C) has • Congratulations!
• D) none of these
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 How about this?

• None of these
• Lidka hasn’t ........to • Lidka hasn’t been
Majorka yet. to Majorka .
• A) had • Precisely!
• B) seen
• C) drove
• D) none of these
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 Try the next question.

• ....you ever smoked? • Have you ever

• A) has smoked?
• B) do
• C) have • Good!
• D) none of these

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Choose the correct answer again.

• She hasn’t ..........the • She hasn’t cooked

dinner already. the dinner already
• A) cooks
• B) cooked • Very well!
• C) make
• D) none of these
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 Can you do this one ?

• None of these
• He hasn’t ........ a • He hasn’t taken a
shower today. shower today.
• A) take
• B) took • Well done!
• C) taked
• D) none of these
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 Try this one !

• ...........Joan • Has Joan ever

ever...........a shark? eaten a shark?
• A) has J. eat
• B) does J. eaten
• C) has J. eaten • Not bad! Keep on
• D) none of these trying
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 Choose the correct answer one
more time.
• None of these
• She has never
kissed a man.

• She has ........ a man.

• A) never kiss
• B) ever kissed • Of course, you are
• C) just kisses right !
• D) none of these 34
Choose the correct answer.

• ..........you ever ......... • Have you ever lost

your head ? your head ?
• A) have..........lost
• B) do............lose • Right again!
• C) did...........lose
• D) none of these 35
 Choose the best answer again !

• Tom and Arthur • Tom and Arthur

........................a dog haven’t bought a dog
so far. so far.
• A) don’t buy
• B) hasn’t bought
• C) haven’t bought
• D) didn’t buy • Excellent!
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 What’s the right answer now?
• .................Peter and Mat • Have Peter and
............... abroad before? Mat been abroad
before ?
• Has..............been • You are absolutely
• Have............seen right !
• Have............been
• None of these

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