Present perfect simple

Form

You form the present perfect with has/have + past participle. You use the contracted form in spoken and informal written English.

Past participles

All regular and some irregular verbs have past participles which are the same as their past simple form.Regular: move - moved, finish - finished, visit - visitedIrregular: leave - left, find - found, buy - bought

Some irregular verbs have past participles which are not the same as the past simple form.go - went - gone, be - was/were - been, drink - drank - drunk, ring - rang - rung

Been and gone

He's been to America= He's been there and he's back here now.He's gone to America= He's still there.

Use

You use the present perfect:

- to talk about an action which happened at some time in the past. We are not interested in when the action took place but in the experience. We often use ever and never. Have you ever read an English newspaper?

Remember that if you ask for and give more information about these experiences, actions or states, such as when, how, why, and how long, you use the past simple.When did you read an English newspaper? Last week.

- to talk about a past action which has a result in the present.She's done the cooking.

- when the action is finished, to say what has been completed in a period of time often in reply to how much/many.How many films has James Bond appeared in?

You can use:

- already with the present perfect to suggest by now or sooner than expected. It's often used for emphasis and goes at the end of the clause.

I'll bring in the rubbish. I've done that already.

You put already between the auxiliary and the past participle. You don't often use already in questions and negatives.

- yet with the present perfect in questions and negatives. You use it to talk about an action which is expected. I haven't bought the wine yet.Have you picked up the children yet?

You usually put yet at the end of the sentence.

- still to emphasise an action which is continuing.The children are still at school.

You usually put still before the main verb. but after be or an auxiliary verb. In negatives it goes before the auxiliary.

Present perfect continuous tense

Form

You form the present perfect continuous tense with has/have been + -ing. You usually use the contracted form in spoken and informal written English.

Use

You use the present perfect continuous:

- to talk about actions and events which began in the past, continue up to the present and may or may not continue into the future.

You use for to talk about how long something has been happening. I've been learning English for three years.

You use since to say when the action or event began.I've been learning English since 1992.

- to talk about actions and events which have been in progress up to the recent past, that show the present results of the past activity.It's been raining.