Present Perfect: Rules, Examples & Exercises

The present perfect tense is used to talk about actions or events that happened in the past but are connected to the present. It describes experiences, recent actions, or actions continuing up to now.

Try this exercise to test you knowledge on Present Perfect:

Was this too hard? Study the article below and do the exercises at the bottom of this page.

Structure
- Past Participle
Conjugation
When to Use Present Perfect
- Time Expressions for Present Perfect
- Key Points for Present Perfect
Present Perfect Simple Exercises

Structure

The present perfect tense is formed using:

Affirmative: Subject + have/has + past participle.
Negative: Subject + have not/has not (haven’t/hasn’t) + past participle.
Interrogative: Have/Has + subject + past participle?

Past Participle

The past participle is the third form of the verb:

Regular verbs: work → worked, play → played.
Irregular verbs: go → gone, eat → eaten.

Conjugation

Subject	Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
I	I have finished.	I have not finished. (I haven’t finished.)	Have I finished?
You	You have finished.	You have not finished. (You haven’t finished.)	Have you finished?
He/She/It	He has finished.	He has not finished. (He hasn’t finished.)	Has he finished?
We	We have finished.	We have not finished. (We haven’t finished.)	Have we finished?
They	They have finished.	They have not finished. (They haven’t finished.)	Have they finished?

When to Use Present Perfect

This tense is used in the following situations:

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Confusing with Past Simple? Click here.

Time Expressions for Present Perfect

This verb tense is often used with these expressions:

Ever (in questions): Have you ever tried sushi?
Never (negative meaning): I have never ridden a horse.
Just (for recent actions): She has just called her friend.
Already (for actions completed earlier than expected): I have already done my homework.
Yet (in negatives and questions):
- I haven’t finished my homework yet.
- Have you finished your homework yet?
For (duration): I have known him for 10 years.
Since (starting point): She has worked here since 2020.

Key Points for Present Perfect

Affirmative: Use have/has + past participle.
Negative: Add not after “have/has” (short forms: haven’t/hasn’t).
Interrogative: Start with have/has, then use subject + past participle.
Use time expressions like already, just, yet, ever, and for/since to give more detail.

Present Perfect Simple Exercises

EXERCISE: Write a complete sentence in the Present Perfect

Write complete sentences in the Present Perfect. Use affirmative, negative, or question forms as indicated.
Example:
Prompt: she – play the piano – a few times (affirmative)
Answer: She has played the piano a few times.

1 / 10

They – see that movie (question)

2 / 10

We – finish our work – yet (negative)

3 / 10

You – clean your room (question)

4 / 10

We – win the game (affirmative)

5 / 10

She – open the window (question)

6 / 10

I – already read – that book (affirmative)

7 / 10

He – go to school (affirmative)

8 / 10

They – still build the house (negative)

9 / 10

She – never eat sushi

10 / 10

I – visit London – twice (affirmative)

Your score is

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Exercises Been and Gone: UsingEnglish | ToLearnEnglish | AnglaisFacile

Exercises Yet, Already, Just, Still, Never, Ever (including all or a group of them):

Already, Since, For, Yet, Just: MyEnglishPages

already, yet, just: EnglishExercises | Wordwall

Never: Ego4u

For or Since: Ego4u | ToLearnEnglish | TestEnglish

Speaking Activities: click here