The Present Perfect Tense
|
|
The English language has three verb tenses to indicate the time an action took place: present, past, and future. Each tense is then further categorized as simple, progressive, perfect, and perfect progressive, resulting in twelve total tenses. In this discussion, we'll review the present perfect tense.
The present perfect is used to communicate occurrences or experiences either completed or not completed in the past with a relation to the present. To form the present perfect, we join the present-tense auxiliary verb has or have to the past participle of a verb. This pairing connects the past with the present.
Examples
I have (present auxiliary) run (past participle) a marathon.
He has (present auxiliary) not run (past participle) a marathon.
They have (present auxiliary) been (past participle) to Madagascar.
She has (present auxiliary) not been (past participle) to Madagascar.
Note the statements' open-ended nature. Although each describes a past event, it does not imply a conclusion; something has been done, and it could take place again.
The passive voice of the present perfect tense is formed with the present-tense auxiliary verb has or have, the past particle of be (been), and the past participle of a verb.
Examples
The proposal has been reviewed by the committee.
Eric and Evelyn have been visited by their children.
The exact time in the past is irrelevant in the past perfect tense, so we do not use it with specific references such as yesterday, last month, and when I was young. We do use the present perfect with unspecific time references such as before, once, and often.
Incorrect: I have played the guitar when I was young.
Correct: I have played the guitar before.
The occurrence or experience referred to in the present perfect may have happened recurrently or just one time. Some statements using the present perfect might also leave the frequency unanswered or open to interpretation.
Examples
We have always visited Grandma Coleman in August. (One can infer this happens often and continues into the present.)
Emma has reached the top of Mount Kilimanjaro once. (The number of trips to the top is clear.)
Anita has sung at the Civic Opera House. (She may have sung several times or once.)
Because the present perfect connects the past with an open-ended present, the tense in a subordinate clause remains in the present.
Examples
Has the attorney stated that the plea deal is (not was) non-negotiable?
The Navarros have expressed which type of flooring they want (not wanted).
|
View and comment on this
article on our website.
|
|
Pop Quiz
Using what you've learned in this article, answer whether the present perfect tense is used correctly in each sentence.
1. Joseph has won the award when he was in high school. [Yes / No]
2. The painters have painted the wall with several coats. [Yes / No]
3. The director has made two movies last year. [Yes / No]
4. Maria's promotion has often been encouraged by her manager. [Yes / No]
|
Free BONUS Quiz for You!
[[firstname]], because you are a subscriber to the newsletter, you get access to one of the Subscribers-Only Quizzes. Click here to take a Subject and Verb Agreement Quiz and get your scores and explanations instantly!
We will be adding many more quizzes this year to our already substantial list of quizzes. If you have suggestions for topics we have not yet covered, please send us a message at help@grammarbook.com.
|
Hundreds of Additional Quizzes
at Your Fingertips
Subscribe now to receive hundreds of additional English usage quizzes not found anywhere else!
Teachers and Employers
Save hours of valuable time! You may assign quizzes to your students and employees and have their scores tallied, organized, and reported to you! Let GrammarBook.com take the hassle out of teaching English!
"Fun to test my skills."
"The explanations really help ... thanks!"
"I can select the quizzes to assign to my students, and then the results are reported to me automatically!"
99¢
QUIZZES
|
Don't need all the quizzes?
You can now purchase the same quizzes individually for ONLY 99¢ each.
Purchase yours here.
|
If you think you have found an error in a quiz, please email us at help@grammarbook.com
|
 |
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
by Jane Straus, Lester Kaufman, and Tom Stern |
The Authority on English Grammar! Eleventh Edition Now Available
An indispensable tool for busy professionals, teachers, students, homeschool families, editors, writers, and proofreaders.
Available in print AND as an e-Book! Over 2,000 copies are purchased every month!
To order the book, simply click the link to order the book from the GrammarBook.com website.
|
Pop Quiz Answers
1. No
2. Yes
3. No
4. Yes
|
 |
English In A Snap:
68 One-Minute English Usage Videos FREE |
Learn all about who and whom, affect and effect, subjects and verbs, adjectives and adverbs, commas, semicolons, quotation marks, and much more by just sitting back and enjoying these easy-to-follow lessons. Tell your colleagues (and boss), children, teachers, and friends. Click here to watch.
|
|
