When do you use the Past Simple ("I did") and the Present Perfect ("I have done")?
The tense you choose depends on how you consider the event. Is it finished, or is there still a connection to the present?
If you use the Past Simple ("I did"), you consider the event or events as finished and in the past. This tense is often used with a time reference: last year, last week, in 1991, this morning (if it's now the afternoon) and so on.
With the Present Perfect ("I have done"), there is a connection to the present.
For example, "I have lived here for five years." (I still live here.)
Uses of the Present Perfect
When the past affects the present
"I've lost my wallet."
This means that you have lost your wallet (sometime in the past, but we don't know when), but what is really important is that you don't have it now, at the time of speaking.
If instead, you say "I lost my wallet", people understand that you lost it, but not that it affects the present. They expect you to tell them about the time that you lost the wallet.
We use the Present Perfect tense to show that something has a result or a connection to now. This means that it's used to give news.
"The Euro slips!"
(headline)
"The Euro has slipped against the pound again."
(news report)
"My sister has had a baby." (announcing news)
Experiences
Your experiences make you the person you are now. We don't use dates and times to give information on what makes you this person.
"I've been to New Zealand." (I know something about New Zealand.)
We often ask questions about people's experiences with ever. For example, "Have you ever been white-water rafting?"
States or activities that started in the past, which have continued up to now and will probably continue into the future.
"I have worked here for five years."
"I have lived here since 1994."
Use since to give the date that an activity or state started and use for to give the period of time the activity or state has lasted.
Recent past
"Have you finished yet?"
"I've already written the report." (Here it is.)
In these type of examples, we often use yet, already still, just and recently.
Note: American English uses the Past Simple instead of the Present Perfect in these examples. For instance, "Did you eat yet?"
Using both tenses in a conversation
"Have you travelled much?"
"Yes, I've been to the USA."
"Oh really? When did you go?"
The first question and the reply concern a person's experience, so they use the Present Perfect. But the second question asks for more information about the experience. Because it refers to a past time (when the person went to the USA), the Past Simple is used.
The conversation could continue:
"Oh really? When did you go?"
"Two years ago. I visited a friend in California, but I only stayed a week."
"Did you like it?"
"Yes, it was a fantastic trip."
How to use the Present Perfect Continuous.
Temporary situations
Like the Present Continuous and Past Continuous, the Present Perfect Continuous is used to talk about activities or states that are temporary, rather than permanent.
Compare:
"I have been the Marketing Manager for five years." (This is my job.)
"I've been working on a new customer database." (This is a temporary project.)
Unfinished situations
"I've been writing letters all morning." (I still haven't finished them.)
"This morning I've written three letters." (They are all finished.)
Repeated and continuous actions
"No wonder you're not hungry. You've been eating sweets for the last hour." (One sweet after another.)
73 comments on “How to use the present perfect tenses in English”
Very intressting to read, easy to understand, and very usefull when learning English grammar.
I AGREE WITH CEELSHUBE
VERY INTERRISTING AND VERY CLEAR TO UNDERSTAND
I like to view this page because there are many information about perfect tenses. It is very easy to understand and remember.Thank you.
I have understood how to use Present Perfect
tks
ayyoob
It is very useful and gives a better understanding of the tenses. It is of great help
Anuj
very helpful, easy to understand and it gives good examples on the proper usage of the tenses.
we always say: i've been (to) country?
example: i've been to France
i've been to Lebanon
I like to view this page, It is s very easy to understand
Slds
could you help me?
what is difference between, This morning I've written three letters." and, This morning I wrote three letters." or, This morning I wrote the letters."
In the first, you're still in the morning, so the morning hasn't finished yet. In the second, you're now in the afternoon, so the morning has finished. In the third, you're in the afternoon.
Dear Hassan,
thank you for your question, it really makes me interested. if that is an exercise, i think you should use the 'present perfect tense' because it seems more suitable. But if it's not an exercise, it will depend on the context.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "I HAVE WORKED HERE FOR 5 YEARS" AND " I HAVE BEEN WORKING HERE FOR 5 YEARS"
THANKS
Both sentences are correct, but the second (the present perfect continuous) emphasises the duration (the length of time) of working here.
Thank you
is this correct: how have you been? OR how you have been?
josh » It should be "How have you been?"
when should i use the question "how have u been " when i meet sb every day ? or when i havent met sb from a very long time . when i meet sb every day, what is the approperiate greeting rather than " how are you ?"
thnx alot
thanks, really useful. I could understand all usage which you mentioned.
novice teacher » Use "How have you been?" when you haven't seen someone for a long time. When you meet someone every day, use "How are you?"
I put to myself reminder in the office "Have you been drinking a cup of coffee?" in order not to forget to do it. Is it correct phrase?
Leonid » What about "Have you had a cup of coffee?" But it's a strange thing to put as a reminder.
Someone has told me that present perfect is used for the action that happens before an action in the future. Is it correct?
TuanAnh » Do you mean the future perfect?
"We will have finished the decoration before Christmas?"
Clare >> Yes, thank you very much.
What is the difference between these two sentences :"I'v been working on a new customer database" and " I'm working on a new customer database" .The two sentences are temporary present continuous. Thank you
shirin » They both mean almost the same thing.
I've been working (present perfect continuous) – I haven't finished the project yet. I started it in the past and I'm still doing it.
I'm working… (present continuous) – this is my current, temporary project.
Clare>> Thank you very much, now i understand what is the difference between them.
I've been to New Zealand.
This is no connection to the present and finished in the past. Why do we use Present Perfect Tense.
Thks & rgds
Panchar » There is a connection to the present. It is personal experience, which means we can still remember.
which is correct?
"All goods have been set already" or "All goods have been setting already"
please explain, thx
dhar » I don't understand what you mean by "set".
when do you use since
anabela » To refer to a point (rather than period) in time:
I haven't been to see her since February.
She hasn't lived in England since 1990.
Whatis the difference between:1-I have been busy all morning, I've painted the porch. 2- I have been busy all morning, I've been painting the porch.
In both sentences you're still in the morning (and not yet in the afternoon). In the first sentence you have finished painting the porch, but in the second, you haven't finished painting the porch yet.
I AM VERY GRATEFUL TO YOU THE WAY AND EXAMPLE YOU USED HERE TO CONCEPTULIZE THE REAL UNDERSTANDING TO USE TENSES IN ACCORDANCE TO THE EXACT TIMING OF EVENTS AND ACTION.PLZ TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE EXAMPLE, SHE HAS HAD A BABY. PLZ GIVE ME MORE EXAMPLE OF THIS KINFD OF SCENTENCES..THANKS A LOT
Using the present perfect for announcements:
She's had a baby.
Have you heard the news?
The stock market has crashed again.
first of all I want to thank u for this useful site. And also I've got a question. What's the diffrence between these 2 sentences ( it has rained for a long time. Or it has been raining for a long time) I mean which one is true and why????
I prefer the second, because we often use a continuous form to emphasise the continuity of an action.
Hi,first of all thank you for your useful site
i have a problem with understanding the present perfect :(
you sai that if we want to speak about travelling or trip ,visiting some place ,we shoul use present perfect
but i saw in many letters that some body who wants to speak about his or her travel,they use past simple
for example ,i visited london,
and also i saw this sentence: i have visited london.
and because u said travel,visit,…because these are still in our mind,we should use present perfect
i want to knw which sentence is correct??in none of them we don`t use time
which is corect? i visited london or i hav visited london
thanks a lot
Both are correct depending on the context. If you talk about your experience (without giving dates) you can say "I have visited London". But if you are talking about when you visited, what you saw when you visited etc, then you are talking about a specific time in the past, so you use the past simple.
Thank you for this very useful site. I want to ask :What does the small 's' (1930s) mean?!
It shows a plural. We're talking about the whole decade (all the years from 1930 to 1939).
This page is very important in english grammar, and easy to understand
Hii Clare.i usually get confused between using HAVE AND HAS,so cod u plz site some more examples so that i get the exact idea to use it.looking forward for ur response.
Use "has" for he / she / it only, and "have" for I, you, we and they.
I am very glad to find out this wonderful site. Your efforts are just invaluable.
Could you please let me know the difference between the following sentences
My car has been repaired.
My car is being repaired.
Request you to give the exact meaning of each sentence and its usage.
In the first, the mechanic has finished repairing the car. In the second, he is still repairing it.
Could you tell me in which situation(s) we say "Where have you been?". By the way, I've very appreciated your explaination about "How have you been?"
You could use this question if you have been expecting a person to arrive, but they are late.
Some people say Present Perfect Tense is also used to describe an action that happens at an indefinite time in the past ( in other words, period is not mentioned). Is it right?
There's always a connection with the present when you use the Present Perfect. You can't use a date or time with it either. So for that reason, you can say that you use this tense when a) you don't mention the time and b) there is still a connection with the present.
i really got a clear "I've lost my wallet."
This means that you have lost your wallet (sometime in the past, but we don't know when), but what is really important is that you don't have it now, at the time of speaking.
Pls explaint the when to use Have had , & had had.
Can we make the snetence without have had means with just have…
No, you need the auxiliary verbs (have / has for present perfect and had for past perfect).
hi.clare,
could you explaim these 2 sentences in simple words through which i could easil understand what is the meaning of that.
a)I have had a good time with you.
b)she has had a baby.
a) = I have enjoyed myself in your company.
You'd say this after you've spent some enjoyable time with a friend. We use the present perfect to show that this "enjoyment" started when you first met your friend, and continued up until now.
b) = She has just given birth.
We use the present perfect here to show news. We often announce news in the present perfect, as it's a recent event.
easy to understand.i save this page ^_^
Very easy to understand and impliment…
Thanks. I have used the examples you posted in my class.
sir can u tell me how is the most and easly way to learn all tense.
it is very sham that i dont have tense and i dont speak english .
i wnat to like speaking english but i dont have tense
Learn the present tenses first, then the past tenses. After that learn the present perfect tenses and the different future forms.
i have seen lots of learning english website..but
this website is so easy to learn..and i have learnt also from comments.that's why i likes to read english from this site..only.
i haven't seen such a great things in the world..
i have ever seen such a great things in the world..
which sentences is correct??
Neither. You could say "I have never seen such great things in the world" or "I haven't ever seen such great things…"
Have you been to Mexico in the last year?
Thay have had three tests in the last week.
Can I skip "in the" in these sentences?
Would there be any difference?
Yes, if you skip "the" and say "last year" or "last week" you refer to a time in the past, and the tense should change to the past simple. "In the last year" means "at any time" so you use the present perfect tense to focus on the event, not the time.
hi clare,
i want clear idea of Though,although,Eventhough
can i use Though instead of EvenThough..
Eventhough i have good knowledge of tense,i am afraid of speaking english.
Even though is two words. You can use "though" as a short form of both "although" and "even though".
Your sentence is correct
Surely the whole point of the present perfect is that it indicates you HAVE something NOW – i.e. a bought car in the utterance "I have bought a car"; finished work in "I have finished my work" or the 'been living in London for 12 years' experience, in "I have been living in London for 12 years."
We are talking about a present tense here -who said anything about the past?
In my introduction, I write "With the Present Perfect ("I have done"), there is a connection to the present."
The reason why I contrast it with the Simple Past is that many learners confuse the two.
Hello Clare,
Couldn't it be that learners often confuse the present perfect and the past because we teachers sometimes muddy the waters by suspecting (and even informing them) that they might?
Shouldn't we be telling them that the present perfect is just another aspect of the present tense along with the simple and continuous?
Sure, there is inteference from L1 with speakers of a lot of European languages, but Asians need never even suppose that there is any connection with the past.
Sorry, this is a hobby horse of mine!
Peter
Good points! I think it's the aspect, rather than the tense that can sometimes be difficult. Learners also frequently confuse present continuous with present perfect, and often showing differences between aspect can help.
I got it.
ok, anon, point took.
