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
I / you / we / they I have spoken.

Negative
I have not spoken.

Question
Have I spoken?

he / she / it

He has spoken. He has not spoken. Has he spoken?

For irregular verbs, use the participle form (see list of irregular verbs, 3rd column). For regular verbs, just add ed.

Exceptions in Spelling when Adding ed

Exceptions in spelling when adding ed
after a final e only add d

Example
love loved

final consonant after a short, stressed vowel admit admitted or l as final consonant after a vowel is doubled 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

Positive Sentences in Present Perfect Simple

Write positive sentences in present perfect simple The following people have just completed an action.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Bob / visit / his grandma

Jimmy / play / on the computer Sue and Walter / wash / their car Andrew / repair / his bike

Phil / help / Anne with maths

Brad and Louise / watch / a film Tamara / talk to / her best friend Bridgette / draw / a picture

Carol / read / a computer magazine Tom and Alice / be / to a restaurant

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. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Sarah / not / wash the dishes Anita / not / clean the kitchen

Maureen and Gavin / not / water the plants Joey / not / make his bed David / not / buy milk

Lisa / not / be to the baker's

Aran and Jack / not / do their homework Jane and Ben / not / tidy up their rooms Alex / not / feed the hamster Hazel / not / empty the bin

Questions in Present Perfect Simple

Write questions in present perfect simple.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

you / answer / the question Jenny / lock / the door Walter / call / us

you / see / the picture

your parents / get / the letter it / rain / a lot

how often / we / sing / the song Maureen / watch / the film

how many books / Bob / read ever / you / be / to London

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

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

I (not / work) We (buy)

today. a new lamp.

We (not / plan) Where (be / you) He (write)

our holiday yet. ? five letters.

She (not / see) (be / you)

him for a long time. at school?

School (not / start) (speak / he)

yet. to his boss?

No, he (have / not)

the time yet.

The present perfect progressive expresses an action that recently stopped or is still going on. It puts emphasis on the duration or course of the action.

Form of Present Perfect Progressive

Positive
I / you / we / they I have been speaking.

Negative
I have not been speaking.

Question
Have I been speaking?

he / she / it

He has been speaking. He has not been speaking. Has he been speaking?

Exceptions in Spelling
Exceptions in spelling when adding ing
final e is dropped (but: ee is not changed)

Example
come coming (but: agree agreeing)

after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled

sit sitting

l as final consonant after a vowel is doubled (in British English) travel travelling

final ie becomes y

lie lying

Use of Present Perfect Progressive

puts emphasis on the duration or course of an action (not the result) Example: She has been writing for two hours. action that recently stopped or is still going on Example: I have been living here since 2001. finished action that influenced the present Example: I have been working all afternoon.

Signal Words of Present Perfect Progressive

all day, for 4 years, since 1993, how long?, the whole week

Write positive sentences in present perfect progressive.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Albert / squash / play

Hannah / the match / watch we / in the park / wait you / a song / sing

I / a magazine / read it / rain / all day

Phil and Greg / a race / run she / her teeth / brush

the Millers / in London / live / for three years we / on the lake / sail

Write negative sentences in present perfect progressive.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

we / not / in the mountains / walk Beatrice / not / in Boston / teach Ricky / not / the car / wash she / not / a poem / write we / not / tea / drink

we / not / our rooms / clean

the children / not / on the floor / sleep Jeff and Linda / not / cycle

Christine / not / her home / decorate

the cat / not / on the chair / lie / all day

Write questions in present perfect progressive.

1. 2. 3. 4.

she / on the phone / talk

his brother / dinner / cook

Jane and Mary / badminton / play Sue / in the gym / exercise

5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Robert / the room / paint they / trees / plant

Henry / in the garage / work they / in the lake / swim

how long / Boris / English / learn how long / you / for me / wait

Put the verbs into the correct form (present perfect progressive).

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
already.

He (work) I (wait)

in this company since 1985. for you since two o'clock.

Mary (live)

in Germany since 1992.

Why is he so tired? He (play) How long (learn / you) We (look for) I (live)

tennis for five hours. English?

the motorway for more than an hour. without electricity for two weeks. for ten minutes yet, but there's a commercial break

The film (run / not)

9. 10.

How long (work / she) She (not / be)

in the garden? in the garden for more than an hour.

Form
Simple Past
irregular verbs: see 2nd column of irregular verbs
Example: I spoke I / you / we / they have spoken he / she / it has spoken

Present Perfect Simple

irregular verbs: form of 'have' + 3rd column of irregular verbs
Example:

regular verbs: infinitive + ed

Example: I worked

regular verbs: form of 'have' + infinitive + ed

Example: I / you / we / they have worked he / she / it has worked

Exceptions Exceptions when adding 'ed':

when the final letter is e, only add d

Example: love - loved

after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled

Example: admit - admitted

final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English)

Example: travel - travelled

after a consonant, final y becomes i (but: not after a vowel)

Example: worry - worried but: play - played

See also explanations on Simple Past and Present Perfect Simple

Use
In British English, the use of Simple Past and Present Perfect is quite strict. As soon as a time expression in the past is given, you have to use Simple Past. If there are no signal words, you must decide if we just talk about an action in the past or if its consequence in the present is important. Note that the following explanations and exercises refer to British English only. In American English, you can normally use Simple Past instead of Present Perfect. We cannot accept this in our exercises, however, as this would lead to confusions amongst those who have to learn the differences.

Certain time in the past or just / already / yet?

Do you want to express that an action happened at a certain time in the past (even if it was just a few seconds ago) or that an action has just / already / not yet happened?

Simple Past
certain time in the past
Example: I phoned Mary 2 minutes ago.

Present Perfect Simple

just / already / not yet
Example: I have just phoned Mary.

Certain event in the past or how often so far?

Do you want to express when a certain action took place or whether / how often an action has happened till now?

Simple Past
certain event in the past
Example: He went to Canada last summer.

Present Perfect Simple

whether / how often till now
Example: Have you ever been to Canada? / I have been to Canada twice.

Emphasis on action or result?

Do you just want to express what happened in the past? Or do you want to emphasise the result (a past action's consequence in the present)?

Simple Past
Emphasis on action
Example: I bought a new bike. (just telling what I did in the past.)

Present Perfect Simple

Emphasis on result
Example: I have bought a new bike. (With this sentence I actually want to express that I have a new bike now.)

Signal Words
Simple Past
yesterday ... ago in 1990 the other day last ... just already up to now until now / till now ever (not) yet so far lately / recently

Present Perfect Simple

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

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

A: (you / play / already)

the new computer game? it yesterday and I (have / not)

B: No, not yet. I only (buy) time yet. A: (you / go)

the

to the cinema last night? there with Sue and Louis. (you / be)

B: Yes. I (be) cinema recently? A: I last (go)

to the

to the cinema two weeks ago.

6. 7. 8.
action!

B: So you (see / not)

the new action film yet.

A: No, unfortunately not. (you / enjoy) B: Oh, I really (love)

it?

it. But Sue (like / not)

it - too much

9.

A: But why (you / take)

her with you? She (tell) action films.

me last

week that she (hate)

10.

B: I think she has an eye on Louis. She (try)

to flirt with him all the time. So

he (can / concentrate / not)

on the film.

Form
Present Perfect Simple
irregular verbs: form of 'have' + 3rd column of irregular verbs
Example: I / you / we / they have spoken he / she / it has spoken I / you / we / they have been speaking he / she / it has been speaking Example:

Present Perfect Progressive

form of 'have' + been + verb + ing

regular verbs: form of 'have' + infinitive + ed

Example: I / you / we / they have worked he / she / it has worked

Exceptions Exceptions when adding 'ed' : when the final letter is e, only add d
Example: love - loved

Exceptions when adding 'ing' : silent e is dropped. (but: does not apply for -ee)

Example: come - coming aber: agree - agreeing after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled Example: sit - sitting after a vowel, the final consonant l is doubled in British English (but not in American English). Example: travel - travelling final ie becomes y.

after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled

Example: admit - admitted

final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English)

Example: travel - travelled

after a consonant, final y becomes i (but: not after a Example: lie - lying vowel)
Example: worry - worried but: play - played

See also explanations on Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect Progressive

Use
Both tenses are used to express that an action began in the past and is still going on or has just finished. In many cases, both forms are correct, but there is often a difference in meaning: We use the Present Perfect Simple mainly to express that an action is completed or to emphasise the result. We use the Present Perfect Progressive to emphasise the duration or continuous course of an action.

Result or duration?
Do you want to express what has happened so far or how long an action has been going on yet?

Present Perfect Simple

Result (what / how much / how often)
I have written 5 letters. / I have been to London twice.

Present Perfect Progressive

Duration (how long)
I have been writing for an hour.

Certain verbs
The following verbs are usually only used in Present Perfect Simple (not in the progressive form). state: be, have (for possession only) Example: We have been on holiday for two weeks. senses: feel, hear, see, smell, taste, touch Example: He has touched the painting. brain work: believe, know, think, understand Example: I have known him for 3 years.

Emphasis on completion or duration?

Do you want to emphasise the completion of an action or its continuous course (how has somebody spent his time)?

Present Perfect Simple

Emphasis on completion

Present Perfect Progressive

Emphasis on duration
I have been doing my homework. (Meaning: That's how I have spent

I have done my homework. (Meaning: My homework is completed my time. It does not matter whether the homework is completed now.) now.)

Result or side effect?

Do you want to express that a completed action led to a desired result or that the action had an unwanted side effect?

Present Perfect Simple

desired result
I have washed the car. (Result: The car is clean now.)

Present Perfect Progressive

unwanted side effect
Why are you so wet? - I have been washing the car. (side effect: I became wet when I was washing the car. It does not matter whether the car is clean now.)

Time + negation: last time or beginning of an action?

In negative sentences: Do you want to express how much time has past since the last time the action took place or since the beginning of the action?

Present Perfect Simple

since the last time

Present Perfect Progressive

since the beginning

I haven't played that game for years. (Meaning: It's years ago that I I haven't been playing that game for an hour, only for 10 minutes. last played that game.) (Meaning: It's not even an hour ago that I started to play that game.)

Permanent or temporary?
If an action is still going on and we want to express that it is a permanent situation, we would usually use the Present Perfect Simple. For temporary situations, we would prefer the Present Perfect Progressive. This is not a rule, however, only a tendency.

Present Perfect Simple

permanent
James has lived in this town for 10 years. (Meaning: He is a permanent resident of this town.)

Present Perfect Progressive

temporary
James has been living here for a year. (Meaning: This situation is only temporary. Maybe he is an exchange student and only here for one or two years.)

Signal words
Present Perfect Simple
how often ... times

Present Perfect Progressive

how long since for

Put the verbs into the correct tense (Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Progressive).

1. 2.

A: (you / take) B: I (work)

the dog for a walk yet? all day. I (come / just) the time yet to walk the dog.

home from work and I

(have / not)

3. 4.
to go?

A: How long (the dog / be)

home alone? the dog for a long time. Don't you want

B: For about 6 hours. You (walk / not)

5.

A: Well, I (laze / not)

about all day either, you know. I have a very important my presentation.

meeting tomorrow and I still (finish / not)

6. 7.

B: Okay, I will go then. Where (you / put)

collar and leash? anything yet? If not, could

A: They are in the kitchen. By the way, (you / eat) you get us something from the supermarket?