The present perfect tense expresses actions that began in the past and continue in the present or have results in the present. It is formed using have/has + past participle. It is used to emphasize results and for actions that stopped recently or occurred once/never/repeatedly before now. Signal words include already, ever, just, never, not yet, so far, till now, up to now. The document provides examples and exercises to practice forming and using the present perfect tense.

1. Present Perfect
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 Negative Question
I / you / we / they
I have
spoken.
I have not
spoken.
Have I
spoken?
he / she / it
He has
spoken.
He has not
spoken.
Has he
spoken?
For irregular verbs, use the participle form. For regular verbs, just add “ed”.
Exceptions in Spelling when Adding ‘ed’
Exceptions in spelling when adding ed Example
after a final e only add d love – loved
final consonant after a short, stressed vowel
or l as final consonant after a vowel is
doubled
admit – admitted
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

2. Exercise on Present Perfect Simple
1.- Exceptions in Spelling when adding ‚ed‘
Write the participle form (3rd form) of the regular verbs. Note the exceptions in spelling when adding
‚ed„.
1) use -______________________
2) try -_______________________
3) carry -_____________________
4) dance -____________________
5) cycle -____________________
6) travel -____________________
2.- Have or has
Fill the gaps with 'have' or 'has'.
1) I ________________answered the question.
2) She _______________opened the window.
3) They ________________called us.
4) You ________________carried a box.
5) It _________________rained a lot.
6) We _________________washed the car.
7) He ________________closed the window.
8) Jenny _______________locked the door.
9) The girls ________________visited the museum.
10) John and Sophie______________ helped in the garden.
3.- Positive Sentences in Present Perfect Simple
Write positive sentences in present perfect simple
The following people have just completed an action. (Add “just”)
1) Bob / visit / his grandma____________________________________________
2) Jimmy / play / on the computer_______________________________________
3) Sue and Walter / wash / their car______________________________________
4) Andrew / repair / his bike___________________________________________
5) Phil / help / Anne with maths_________________________________________
6) Brad and Louise / watch / a film_______________________________________
7) Tamara / talk to / her best friend______________________________________
8) Bridgette / draw / a picture___________________________________________
9) Carol / read / a computer magazine_____________________________________
10) Tom and Alice / be / to a restaurant____________________________________

3. 4.- 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) Sarah / not / wash the dishes_______________________________________________
2) Anita / not / clean the kitchen______________________________________________
3) Maureen and Gavin / not / water the plants___________________________________
4) Joey / not / make his bed_________________________________________________
5) David / not / buy milk____________________________________________________
6) Lisa / not / be to the baker's_______________________________________________
7) Aran and Jack / not / do their homework_____________________________________
8) Jane and Ben / not / tidy up their rooms______________________________________
9) Alex / not / feed the hamster_______________________________________________
10) Hazel / not / empty the bin________________________________________________
5.- Questions in Present Perfect Simple
Write sentences in present perfect simple. Place 'never' before the main verb.
In a contest, people get the chance to do something they've never done before. This is what the
participants told the jury:
1) Fergal / never / sail / on the Pacific.
____________________________________________________________________________
2) Rebecca / never / stay / at a five-star hotel
____________________________________________________________________________
3) Jason / never / watch / a world-cup final
____________________________________________________________________________
4) Rachel and Gareth / never / climb / Mount Kilimanjaro
____________________________________________________________________________
5) Elaine / never / see / a whale
____________________________________________________________________________
6) Ruth / never / spend / her holiday in Mexico
____________________________________________________________________________
7) Connor / never / be / to Canada
____________________________________________________________________________
8) Lisa and Holly / never / cycle / around England
____________________________________________________________________________
9) Barry / never / drive / a Ferrari
____________________________________________________________________________
10) Clare / never / meet / Mickey Mouse
____________________________________________________________________________

4. 6.- Questions in Present Perfect Simple
Write questions in present perfect simple.
1) you / answer / the question ____________________________________________________
2) Jenny / lock / the door________________________________________________________
3) Walter / call / us_____________________________________________________________
4) you / see / the picture_________________________________________________________
5) your parents / get / the letter____________________________________________________
6) it / rain / a lot_______________________________________________________________
7) how often / we / sing / the song_________________________________________________
8) Maureen / watch / the film_____________________________________________________
9) how many books / Bob / read___________________________________________________
10) ever / you / be / to London_____________________________________________________
6.- Questions with Interrogative Particles in Present Perfect Simple
Ask for the information in the bold part of the sentence.
1) I have been in the garden.
______________________________________________________________________________
2) My sister has cooked dinner.
______________________________________________________________________________
3) Sue has read the book twice.
______________________________________________________________________________
4) My computer has crashed.
______________________________________________________________________________
5) Jeane has been on holiday for eight days.
______________________________________________________________________________
6) Fred has done his homework.
______________________________________________________________________________
7) Gavin has stopped at the corner.
______________________________________________________________________________
8) Sarah has bought five books.
______________________________________________________________________________
9) Jason has talked to his teacher.
______________________________________________________________________________
10) Catherine has cleaned the house because she is having a party tonight.
______________________________________________________________________________

5. 7.- Put the verbs into the correct form (present perfect simple).
1) I (not / work)_______________________________ today.
2) We (buy)________________________________ a new lamp.
3) We (not / plan)________________________________ our holiday yet.
4) Where (be / you)___________________________________?
5) He (write)____________________________________ five letters.
6) She (not / see)_____________________________________ him for a long time.
7) (be / you)______________________________________ at school?
8) School (not / start)_____________________________________ yet.
9) (speak / he)______________________________________ to his boss?
10) No, he (have / not)____________________________________ the time yet.
8.- Write down the correct form (pronoun + verb).
Simple Past Present Perfect Simple
I / open
he / write
they / do
you / swim
she / give
9.- When do we use which tense?
1) 'Already' is a signal word for ___________________________________________
2) 'Just' is a signal word for _______________________________________________
3) '2 years ago' is a signal word for _________________________________________
4) 'Yet' is a signal word for _______________________________________________
5) 'Yesterday' is a signal word for __________________________________________
10.- Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).
1) Mary (win)__________________________________ the lottery last year.
2) We (prepare / already) ___________________________________ dinner.
3) James (find) _________________________________ your ring in the garden yesterday.
4) He (come / just) ____________________________________ home.
5) They (buy) _______________________________________ their car two years ago.

6. 11.- Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).
1) I (see / not) ______________________________________ anyone yet.
2) Phil (go / not) ___________________________________ to the cinema last night.
3) We (be / not) _____________________________________ to the zoo so far.
4) She (arrive / not) ___________________________________________ yet.
5) Emily (visit / not) _________________________________________ me last week.
12.- Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).
1) (you / read) ______________________________________________- the book yet?
2) How many letters (they / write) _______________________________________so far?
3) When (he / tell) _________________________________________________you that?
4) (you / be) _______________________________________________-at home last night?
5) How often (you / travel) ____________________________________-abroad till now?
13.- Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).
1) A: (you / taste / ever) _______________________________ sushi?
2) B: Yes, I (eat) ________________________________ sushi at least five times so far.
3) A: When (you / eat) _________________________________ sushi for the first time?
4) B: I (eat) _______________________________ sushi for the first time on my dad's 50th
birthday. He (invite) ______________________________the whole family to a Japanese
restaurant.
5) A: (you / like) __________________________ it?
6) B: Absolutely. In fact, it (be) ____________________________so good that we (be)
_________________________to that restaurant three times yet. And on my mum's birthday, we
(order) ____________________________some sushi and (have)
_____________________________it at home.
14.- Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).
1) Last week I (be) ____________very busy and I (have not) ___________________the time to do
a lot in the household.
2) On Monday I (work) _________________________________three hours overtime and (come)
__________________________________home very late in the evening.
3) From Tuesday to Thursday I (be) _____________________________-on a business trip.
4) On Friday I (go) _______________________ to a friend's birthday party and at the weekend I
(visit) __________________________ my grandparents.
5) Tomorrow some friends are coming over. I (see / not)
________________________________them for ages and they (be / never)
____________________________________ at my place before.
6) I (clean / just) __________________________________________my house so I can show them
around. Now everything is perfect.