Present Perfect Tense in English (A2)
A free CEFR A2 grammar lesson from Virtuous English Academy · 4 key rules · 10-question check · 60 exercises
The present perfect (have/has + past participle) links the past with the present, describing experiences and recent events. This lesson introduces its form and its most common uses.
Looking for something else? See the Present Perfect on a timeline, with short stories.
How to form Present Perfect Tense
| Form | I / you / we / they | he / she / it |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | I have finished. / I've finished. | She has finished. / She's finished. |
| Negative | I haven't finished. | She hasn't finished. |
| Question | Have you finished? | Has she finished? |
| Short answer (yes) | Yes, I have. | Yes, she has. |
| Short answer (no) | No, I haven't. | No, she hasn't. |
| The verb be (am, is, are) | am / are → have been: I have been ill. They have been busy. | is → has been: She has been ill all week. |
| Typical time words | ever, never, just, already, yet, since, for | recently, so far, this week |
Present Perfect Tense explained
The present perfect is the tense that connects the past to the present. It describes actions that happened at an unspecified time before now, or that started in the past and continue into the present. I have visited Japan says something about your experience today; it does not say when the visit happened, and that vagueness is the whole point.
The form is have or has plus the past participle. For regular verbs the participle is the -ed form, identical to the past simple. For irregular verbs it is the third form, which often differs — see, saw, seen; go, went, gone. This is why irregular verb lists give three columns rather than two.
The rule that governs everything else is this: the present perfect cannot be used with a finished time expression. You can say I have seen that film, but not I have seen that film yesterday. The moment you specify a completed past time, English requires the past simple. Learning this single restriction prevents most present perfect errors.
Present Perfect Tense: the key rules
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Form: have/has + past participle, for past actions connected to now.
I've lost my keys (— so I can't get in now).
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Use it for life experience without saying when.
She has visited ten countries.
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Use it for news and recent events.
The president has resigned.
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Learn participles with their verbs: go → gone, see → seen, do → done, be → been.
Have you ever been to Rome?
When to use Present Perfect Tense
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Life experience up to now
What you have or have not done at some point in your life, with the time unstated.
I have been to Iceland. She has never eaten sushi.
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Recent actions with a present result
Something finished, but its consequence matters right now.
I've lost my keys, so I can't get in.
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Unfinished time periods
Actions within a period that has not yet ended — today, this week, this year.
I've had three meetings this morning.
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Situations continuing to the present
Started in the past and still true now, usually with for or since.
We've lived here for six years. She's known him since 2018.
Present perfect vs. past simple
The present perfect is for an unstated or unfinished time, and the past simple is for a finished, stated time. Only the past simple can carry a finished time expression. That is the deciding test.
Present perfect — time unstated or unfinished
The when does not matter, or the period is still open. Connects to now.
I've read that book. I've seen her twice this week.
Past simple — time finished and stated
A specific, completed past moment. The connection to now is broken.
I read that book last summer. I saw her on Monday.
Present Perfect Tense in example sentences
- I've finished the report.Recent action with a result that matters now.
- She has lived in Prague since 2019.Started in the past, still true today.
- Have you ever been to Greece?ever asks about experience at any point in life.
- They haven't replied yet.yet in a negative means up to now.
- We've had a lot of rain this month.this month is an unfinished period.
- He's broken his leg, so he can't play.Past action, present consequence.
- I've never understood that rule.never covers the whole of life up to now.
- How long have you worked here?Asking about a situation continuing to the present.
Present Perfect Tense in a real conversation
In this conversation, the tense switches to the past simple the moment a specific past time is mentioned.
Interviewer:Have you worked in this sector before?
Candidate:Yes, I've spent four years in logistics.
Interviewer:Where did you work before that?
Candidate:I worked at a shipping company from 2016 to 2019.
Interviewer:Have you managed a team?
Candidate:I've led a team of six since January.
Common mistakes (and how to fix them)
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I have seen him yesterday.
I saw him yesterday.
A finished time word (yesterday) forces the past simple — the present perfect refuses dates.
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She has wrote three emails.
She has written three emails.
The present perfect needs the participle (written), not the past form (wrote).
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Did you ever eat sushi?
Have you ever eaten sushi?
Open life experience uses the present perfect with ever.
Check yourself: 10 Present Perfect Tense questions
The check has 10 questions: 6 multiple choice and 4 fill in the blank. They are 10 of the 60 exercises in the full Present Perfect Tense practice set. Each answer shows the reason for it.
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I ___ lost my wallet.
- have
- has
- am
- did
Show answer
have — The first person takes have plus the past participle.
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Which sentence is correct?
- I have saw him yesterday.
- I saw him yesterday.
- I has seen him yesterday.
- I have seen him yesterday.
Show answer
I saw him yesterday. — A finished time expression like yesterday requires the past simple.
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She hasn't ___ her homework yet.
- doing
- did
- done
- does
Show answer
done — The participle of do is done.
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They ___ just arrived at the airport.
- did
- has
- is
- have
Show answer
have — They takes have, and just goes after the auxiliary.
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Which sentence means the person is still abroad?
- He has gone to Italy.
- He has been to Italy.
- He went to Italy.
- He was in Italy.
Show answer
He has gone to Italy. — Gone to means the journey is not finished; been to means it is.
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Which time expression can NOT be used with the present perfect?
- before
- last week
- ever
- never
Show answer
last week — Last week is a finished period, so it requires the past simple.
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I ___ lost my train ticket somewhere.
Show answer
have — The first person takes have plus a past participle.
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I've ___ my phone somewhere in the flat.
Show answer
left — The participle of leave is left.
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She has ___ a new job in Antalya.
Show answer
found — Find, found, found — the second and third forms are identical here.
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She has ___ her hair very short.
Show answer
cut — Cut is the same in all three forms.
Practise Present Perfect Tense today
Drill the boundary with the past simple — that is where the tense is won or lost.
- Write six things you have done in your life, with no time expression.
- Rewrite three of them in the past simple, adding a specific past time.
- Correct these: I have seen him yesterday. — She has went home. — I am here since May.
- Write four sentences about this week using the present perfect.
Present Perfect Tense: frequently asked questions
Why can I not say I have seen him yesterday?
Yesterday is a finished time, and the present perfect requires the time to be either unstated or still open. The two are in direct conflict. Say I saw him yesterday with the past simple, or I have seen him with no time expression at all. This single restriction explains the majority of present perfect errors, so it is worth treating as an absolute rule.
What is the difference between gone to and been to?
Been to means the person visited and has returned: She has been to Paris three times. Gone to means the person went and is still there: She has gone to Paris, so she is not in the office. This is one of the few places where English makes the distinction grammatically rather than by adding words, and confusing the two changes the meaning completely.
Do Americans use the present perfect differently?
Yes, Americans use the present perfect somewhat differently. American English often uses the past simple where British English would use the present perfect, particularly with just, already and yet: Did you eat yet? is normal American, while British English prefers Have you eaten yet? Both are understood everywhere. If you are learning British English, use the present perfect in those cases.
Why is it I have lived here for six years and not I live here for six years?
The sentence describes a situation that started in the past and continues now. English marks that combination with the present perfect. The present simple I live here describes only the current fact, with no duration. Many languages use a present tense here, which makes this one of the most persistent transfer errors — and one that is very noticeable to a native ear.
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“Present Perfect Tense in English (A2)” is a free CEFR A2 grammar lesson from Virtuous English Academy: 4 key rules with examples, 3 common mistakes corrected, a 10-question check marked as you answer and a separate set of 60 exercises. No account is needed.
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Virtuous English Academy. “Present Perfect Tense in English (A2).” Updated November 6, 2026. https://virtuousenglishacademy.com/grammar/a2/present-perfect