You have stolen my heart.
You have made my heart beat twice its normal speed since I met you.
Has anybody told you how beautiful you look tonight?
What do these three pick up lines have in common? Well, aside from working well, they also all use the present perfect tense, which is one of twelve verb tenses.
The present perfect tense, which often refers to a state of accomplishment, or the state resulting from an action, indicates how a time in the past connects to the present. This tense is used to describe a subject’s state, rather than convey a subject’s present action, like the present simple.
Use this tense to describe:
1. An action that started in the past but continues to the present
- I have walked since 4 am this morning. (and I still am)
- Have you watched this movie since the beginning?
- They’ve teased us since we got to this school.
2. An action performed during a period that has not finished yet
- He has worked out every day this month.
- I have driven for most of the day.
- We haven’t seen our teacher anywhere today.
3. An action repeated between the past and now
- You have traveled home from Portugal several times in the past few years.
- She has given me great advice several times since we became friends.
- I have gotten stung by a bee five times since I was born.
4. An action that grants life-long or long term status, covering the present
- He has earned his plumbing certificate.
- Michael Jordan has won six championship rings.
- I have beaten that game.
Key idea: The present perfect tense applies more to a person’s status or recent behavior, what they have already done, and how that affects them in the present.
How to Form the Present Perfect Tense
Subject + [has or have] + [past participle]
- I have eaten.
- We have watched TV.
- You have played.
- He has laughed.
- They have traveled.
Remember that irregular verbs have unexpected past participles. For a review of irregular verb past participles, visit the Past Simple Verb Tense guide.
Negative version of present perfect verb tense: Subject + [has or have] + not + past participle
- We have not gotten married yet.
- You have not told the truth during this conversation.
- He did not let me cheat off of his paper during the test.
Interrogative (question) version: [Have or Has] + subject + past participle ?
- Has mom started dinner yet?
- Have you gone swimming since you arrived on vacation?
- Have you eaten clams with every meal this week?
Wow, you have focused intently while reading this guide. Now, feeling prepared to express previous actions that color the present state of things, go enjoy the writing process. If you feel stuck, consult this guide, and remember that clarity gives necessary structure to complexity.
