Present Perfect Tense Chart, Rules, Structure & Examples

Two sentences, one small difference:

I lost my keys.

A closed story — it happened, it ended.

I have lost my keys.

A problem you still have right now.

The first one is a closed story. It happened, it ended, and you may well have found the keys an hour later. The second one is a problem you still have. The door is still locked. That link to right now is the whole point of the present perfect tense.

What You’ll Learn in This Article

Present perfect structure and formula
The has/have rule
Past participles
All eight uses
For and since
Already, yet, just
Ever and never
Been versus gone
Passive voice
British and American differences
Over 100 example sentences by topic
Practice Exercises
Quiz with answers

What Is the Present Perfect Tense?

The present perfect tense describes a past action that is connected to the present moment. It is formed with “has” or “have” plus the past participle of the main verb.

The simplest way to picture it is a bridge. One end of the bridge stands in the past, where the action happened. The other end stands in the present, where the result still matters. The simple past has no bridge; the action sits on the far bank and stays there.

Simple past	Present perfect
He broke his leg. (a past event)	He has broken his leg. (and it is still in plaster)
I ate. (at some past time)	I have eaten. (so I am not hungry now)
She wrote three novels. (perhaps she has stopped writing, or died)	She has written three novels. (her writing life is still going on)

Every present perfect sentence needs two pieces

The helping verb — has or have, which changes with the subject.
The past participle — the third form of the verb, which never changes no matter who the subject is.

Why Is It Called the Present Perfect Tense?

The name confuses learners because the tense describes past actions. The two words explain themselves once you split them.

Where the word “perfect” comes from

Perfect comes from the Latin perfectum, meaning finished or completed. In grammar it has nothing to do with being flawless. It simply signals a completed action.

Present refers to the helping verb, not the main verb. In She has written, the word has is a present-tense form. Change it to had and you get the past perfect: She had written. The tense is named after the part that carries the time.

Modern reference grammars describe the same structure as the present tense combined with perfect aspect.

Tense tells you when, aspect tells you how the action is viewed.

That is why the present perfect can talk about the past while still counting as a present tense, and it is also why finished past time words such as yesterday clash with it.

When Do We Use the Present Perfect Tense?

The eight main uses are explained in full further down, but here is the map:

The eight main uses of the present perfect tense with an example for each
Use	Example
Completed action with a present result	I have lost my wallet.
Life experience	She has visited four continents.
Action continuing from past to present	We have known each other since school.
Repeated action up to now	He has called me three times today.
Recent action	The bus has just left.
News and announcements	The government has announced new taxes.
Achievement	Our team has won the championship.
Unfinished time period	I have drunk two cups of tea this morning.

Present Perfect Tense Table

This present perfect tense table shows the four sentence types you can build. Everything else in the article is a variation on these four rows.

The four present perfect sentence types, their structure, and an example
Sentence Type	Structure	Example
Affirmative	Subject + has/have + past participle	She has finished her homework.
Negative	Subject + has/have + not + past participle	She has not finished her homework.
Interrogative	Has/Have + subject + past participle?	Has she finished her homework?
Negative Interrogative	Hasn’t/Haven’t + subject + past participle?	Hasn’t she finished her homework?

Remember

Look at what stays still across all four rows: finished never moves and never changes. Only has travels to the front, picks up not, or contracts. Learners who fix that one idea stop writing “She has finish” and “Has she finished her homework yesterday”.

Present Perfect Rules: How to Form the Present Perfect Tense

Six present perfect rules cover the whole tense:

Use has with he, she, it, and all singular subjects. Use have with I, you, we, they, and all plural subjects.
Always use the third form of the verb, not the past simple.

Gone, not went.
Put not straight after has or have to make a negative.
Move has or have in front of the subject to make a question.
Never use a finished past time with this tense: no yesterday, last year, in 2015, two days ago.
Use since with a point in time and for with a length of time.

Choosing Between “Has” and “Have”

One helping verb per subject
Subject	Helping Verb	Example
I	have	I have eaten.
You	have	You have arrived.
We	have	We have completed the work.
They	have	They have left.
He	has	He has finished.
She	has	She has written.
It	has	It has stopped raining.

Extra points that exam questions like to test:

Singular nouns take has. The parcel has arrived.
Plural nouns take have. The parcels have arrived.
Two subjects joined by and take have. Ali and Sara have applied for the same job.
Uncountable nouns take has. The water has boiled away.
Words sitting between the subject and the verb change nothing. The list of names has been updated. The subject is list, not names.
Everybody, somebody, nobody, each, and everyone take has. Everyone has signed the register.

Mini challenge: has or have?

Find the real subject first, then choose.

The box of chocolates arrived.
My uncle and my cousin opened a shop.
Nobody answered the door.
The milk gone sour.
The students in my class finished the test.

Using the Correct Past Participle

The third column is the one this tense needs
Base Verb	Past Simple	Past Participle
go	went	gone
eat	ate	eaten
write	wrote	written
see	saw	seen
work	worked	worked

The past participle is the third form of a verb, the one you were told to memorise in columns at school. Regular verbs make it by adding -ed, so the second and third forms look identical: work, worked, worked. Irregular verbs follow no single rule and have to be learned.

The single most common error in this tense

Putting the past simple where the participle belongs:

She has went home. She has gone home.
I have wrote the letter. I have written the letter.
They have took my seat. They have taken my seat.
He has drank all the juice. He has drunk all the juice.

A quick self-test

If you can say I have ___ and it sounds like a complet

Mini challenge: second form or third?

After has or have, only the third form works.

She has to Karachi twice.
I have that film before.
The glass has .
We have to the manager already.
He has here for six years.

Key takeaways

Six rules run the whole tense: pick has/have, use the third form, not after the helping verb, helping verb first in questions, no finished past times, since for points and for for lengths.
Find the real subject before choosing has or have — words in between change nothing.
Regular verbs repeat the second form; irregular ones have to be memorised.
If a second form ever appears after has or have, the sentence is wrong.

When to Use the Present Perfect Tense

Completed Actions with Present Results

The action is over, but its effect is visible now. This is the tense’s core job.

I have lost my wallet. I cannot pay
She has cut her hair. it is short now
The lift has broken down. we must take the stairs
He has passed his driving test. he can drive legally today
They have painted the office. the walls look different

Life Experiences

Use it for things that have happened at some point in a person’s life, when the exact date does not matter and is not mentioned.

I have travelled by helicopter.
She has met the prime minister.
We have tried Korean food.
He has never broken a bone.
Have you ever swum in the sea?

Add a date and the tense changes

If you add a date, the sentence must switch to the simple past: I travelled by helicopter in 2021.

Actions That Started in the Past and Continue Today

The action began earlier and is still true at this moment. This use almost always carries for or since.

We have lived in this city for nine years.
She has worked at the bank since 2018.
I have known him since we were children.
They have owned that shop for two generations.
He has been ill all week.

Worth noticing

Stative verbs like know, own, and belong use the present perfect here, not the present perfect continuous.

Repeated Actions Up to the Present

The action has happened more than once between the past and now, and it may happen again.

I have watched that film four times.
She has applied for six jobs this month.
The phone has rung three times since lunch.
We have visited them twice this year.
He has failed the test on two occasions.

Recent Actions

With just, recently, and lately, the present perfect reports something fresh.

The train has just left.
I have recently changed my number.
She has just finished her shift.
We have not heard from him lately.

News and Announcements

Headlines and first reports use the present perfect because the news is new. The details that follow usually switch to the simple past.

Scientists have discovered a new species of frog.
The company has launched its first electric car.
Heavy rain has flooded three districts.
The board has approved the budget.

Achievements and Accomplishments

She has won two gold medals.
Our school has produced three national champions.
He has published forty research papers.
The charity has built two hundred homes.

A natural partner

This use pairs naturally with superlatives: That is the finest speech I have ever heard.

Unfinished Time Periods

If the time frame is still running, the present perfect fits. If it has closed, use the simple past.

Unfinished (present perfect)	Finished (simple past)
I have made six calls today.	I made six calls yesterday.
She has been late this week.	She was late last week.
We have earned well this year.	We earned well last year.
He has not eaten this morning. it is still morning	He did not eat this morning. it is now evening

Read the clock, not the words

Look at the last row. The same three words — this morning — take different tenses depending on what time it is when you speak. The phrase does not decide; the clock does.

Mini challenge: which use is this?

Same tense every time. Only the job it’s doing changes.

The board has approved the budget.
I have watched that film four times.
She has cut her hair.
We have lived in this city for nine years.

Mini challenge: is the time frame still open?

Check the time word first. If that stretch has closed, the present perfect cannot be used.

I three emails today.
She late last week.
We him in 2019.
He two cups of tea this morning. (It is only eight o’clock.)

Key takeaways

Eight jobs, one shape: results now, life experience, still continuing, repeated, recent, news, achievements, unfinished time.
Name a date and the sentence must move to the simple past.
For and since belong to use 3; just, recently, and lately to use 5.
Whether a time word is open or closed decides the tense — sometimes only the clock can tell you.

Present Perfect Tense Chart

Keep this present perfect tense chart beside you while you write. Every sentence in the tense comes from one of these ten lines.

Signal Words Used with the Present Perfect

Signal words are clues. When one of these appears in a question, the present perfect is usually the answer.

Eleven clues worth memorising
Signal Word	Example
already	She has already eaten.
yet	Have you finished yet?
just	I have just arrived.
ever	Have you ever visited Italy?
never	He has never seen snow.
recently	We have recently moved.
lately	She has been busy lately.
so far	We have completed five chapters so far.
until now	Nothing has changed until now.
since	I have lived here since 2020.
for	They have worked here for five years.

Three more that behave the same way

this week / this month / this year — when the period has not ended
how long — in questions
it is the first time — as a sentence opener

Present Perfect Sentence Patterns

Affirmative Sentences

Subject has / have past participle

I have submitted the application.
She has repaired the fan.
The guests have arrived.
We have finished the first draft.
It has rained all morning.

Negative Sentences

Subject has / have not past participle

I have not received your message.
He has not replied to my email.
They have not paid the bill.
The parcel has not arrived yet.
We have not decided anything.

Short forms

Contractions are normal in speech and friendly writing: hasn’t, haven’t, and the split forms he’s not and they’ve not, which are common in British English. Both He hasn’t finished and He’s not finished are correct.

Interrogative Sentences

Has / Have subject past participle

Have you seen my glasses?
Has she taken her medicine?
Have they left already?
Has the meeting started?
Have we met before?

The helping verb jumps to the front. The participle stays exactly where it was.

WH Questions

WH-word has / have subject past participle

What have you done?
Where has he gone?
Why have they cancelled the trip?
How long have you lived here?
How many books have you read this year?
Which course has she chosen?

When the question word is the subject

Nothing gets inverted and has is the default:

Who has taken my charger?
What has caused the delay?
How many people have applied?

Short Answers

Repeat the helping verb only, never the main verb.

Question	Positive Answer	Negative Answer
Have you finished?	Yes, I have.	No, I haven’t.
Has he called?	Yes, he has.	No, he hasn’t.
Have they arrived?	Yes, they have.	No, they haven’t.
Has it stopped raining?	Yes, it has.	No, it hasn’t.

Never contract a positive short answer

✅ Yes, I have is correct; ❌ Yes, I’ve is not. Negative short answers are almost always contracted.

Tag Questions

A positive statement takes a negative tag, and a negative statement takes a positive tag.

You have finished the report, haven’t you?
She has already left, hasn’t she?
They haven’t paid, have they?
He hasn’t seen the notice, has he?
We have met before, haven’t we?

Careful with have as a main verb

You have a car, don’t you? uses don’t, because there have means possess. In You have driven a car, haven’t you?, have is the helping verb, so the tag repeats it.

Watch the helping verb move

Tap a statement to turn it into a question. Only one word travels.

Pick a statement above to see its question form.

Mini challenge: finish the tag

Positive sentence, negative tag — and the other way round. Watch out for the last one.

She has posted the letter, ?
They haven’t answered, ?
We have met before, ?
You have two sisters, ?

Key takeaways

Signal words point to the tense, but the meaning decides it.
Negatives slot not between the helping verb and the participle; questions send the helping verb to the front.
When the question word is the subject, nothing is inverted: Who has taken my charger?
Short answers and tags repeat the helping verb — unless have is the main verb, which takes don’t.

Present Perfect with “For” and “Since”

Since points to a starting moment. For measures a length of time. Both answer how long?

since

Monday now

One dot on the calendar — the moment it started.

for

five days now

The whole stretch — how much time it fills.

The same idea, said two ways
For	Since
for two hours	since Monday
for a year	since 2019
for five weeks	since childhood
for ten minutes	since this morning
for a long time	since we met
for three days	since last Friday
for ages	since I was ten

Sentences in pairs, so you can see the swap:

I have waited for forty minutes. I have waited since four o’clock.
She has taught for twelve years. She has taught since 2013.
We have not spoken for months. We have not spoken since the wedding.

Two rules worth memorising:

Since can be followed by a whole clause with a past-tense verb.

I have felt better since I changed my diet.
In informal speech, for is sometimes dropped: I have known her ten years.

This is acceptable in conversation but keep for in exams and formal writing.

The classic error, and the fix:

I have lived here since five years. I have lived here for five years.
He has worked here for 2020. He has worked here since 2020.

Mini challenge: for or since?

Ask one question: is this a length of time, or the moment it started?

She has been ill three days.
They have known each other university.
I have not seen him last Eid.
We have lived in Lahore ages.
He has felt better he started walking daily.

Present Perfect with Already, Yet, Just, Ever, and Never

These five words do different jobs and sit in different places in the sentence.

Subject has / have already · just · ever · never past participle … yet

Four of the five share one seat. Yet waits at the end of the sentence.

What each word means, and where it goes
Word	Meaning	Used in	Position	Example
already	sooner than expected	positive sentences, surprised questions	between has/have and the participle	She has already left. / Have you already finished?
yet	up to now, still waiting	negatives and questions	at the end of the sentence	I haven’t eaten yet. / Have they called yet?
just	a very short time ago	positive sentences	between has/have and the participle	The film has just started.
ever	at any time in your life	questions, and after superlatives	between has/have and the participle	Have you ever flown business class?
never	at no time in your life	positive sentences with negative meaning	between has/have and the participle	He has never eaten beef.

Points that trip learners up:

Never is already negative

❌ I haven’t never been there.
✅ I have never been there.
Or use ever: I haven’t ever been there.

Ever is not used in plain statements

❌ I have ever been to Nepal.
✅ I have been to Nepal.

Yet goes at the end

❌ Have you yet finished?
✅ Have you finished yet?

Already at the end changes the tone

She has left already is natural in speech and adds surprise. In writing, keep it in the middle.

Already in a question expresses shock

Have you already spent the money?

Mini challenge: the right word in the right seat

Five quick decisions about meaning and position.

I haven’t paid the bill .
Have you ridden a camel?
Which one is correct?
Which one is correct?
The bus left — we missed it by seconds.

Key takeaways

Since marks the point it began; for measures the stretch. Both answer how long?
A whole clause can follow since, and its verb goes into the past.
Already, just, ever, and never share one seat between the helping verb and the participle.
Yet lives at the end, and never is negative on its own.

Been vs Gone in the Present Perfect

Both are participles of movement verbs, and swapping them changes who is in the room.

She has been to Paris. back now

= she went and has come back
a completed visit, an experience

She has gone to Paris. away now

= she is there now, or on the way
an incomplete journey, an absence

More pairs:

My parents have been to Makkah. back now they are home, they made the pilgrimage
My parents have gone to Makkah. away now they are away right now
I have been to the market. back now I am back, with the shopping
He has gone to the doctor. away now do not expect him at his desk

Two extra notes:

You cannot use gone about yourself

Not in the present, if you are speaking. ❌ I have gone to the bank. If you are here talking, you came back, so it is ✅ I have been to the bank.

Been to vs been in

Been to means visited. Been in means stayed inside something for a period: She has been in hospital for a week.

Mini challenge: is the person here or away?

Read the situation, then choose the participle that fits.

Sara isn’t at her desk. She has to the bank.
Welcome back! Where have you ?
I to Turkey twice, and I’d go again.
Don’t ring the shop. The owner has to Multan for a wedding.
She has in hospital for a week.

Regular vs Irregular Past Participles

Regular verbs add -ed and their second and third forms match. Irregular verbs do not follow the pattern and must be memorised, but they fall into helpful groups.

Find a verb fast

Fifty-two verbs below. Type any form — drank, drunk or drink — to jump straight to its row.

Showing all 52 verbs.

Regular verbs 8 verbs

Base Verb	Past Simple	Past Participle
work	worked	worked
play	played	played
finish	finished	finished
watch	watched	watched
decide	decided	decided
study	studied	studied
stop	stopped	stopped
travel	travelled / traveled	travelled / traveled

Spelling reminders for the -ed form:

Silent eAdd nothing but -d: decide → decided
Consonant + yChange y to i: study → studied
Short CVC verbsDouble the final consonant: stop → stopped

Irregular verbs, group 1: all three forms the same 8 verbs

Base	Past Simple	Past Participle
cut	cut	cut
put	put	put
let	let	let
set	set	set
hit	hit	hit
cost	cost	cost
shut	shut	shut
read	read pronounced red	read pronounced red

Irregular verbs, group 2: past simple and participle the same 16 verbs

Base	Past Simple	Past Participle
buy	bought	bought
bring	brought	brought
teach	taught	taught
catch	caught	caught
think	thought	thought
find	found	found
sell	sold	sold
tell	told	told
leave	left	left
sleep	slept	slept
meet	met	met
pay	paid	paid
build	built	built
hear	heard	heard
lose	lost	lost
sit	sat	sat

Irregular verbs, group 3: all three forms different 21 verbs

Base	Past Simple	Past Participle
go	went	gone
eat	ate	eaten
write	wrote	written
see	saw	seen
take	took	taken
speak	spoke	spoken
give	gave	given
break	broke	broken
drink	drank	drunk
begin	began	begun
swim	swam	swum
drive	drove	driven
know	knew	known
grow	grew	grown
fly	flew	flown
choose	chose	chosen
forget	forgot	forgotten
ride	rode	ridden
wear	wore	worn
do	did	done
be	was / were	been

How to learn group 3

Group 3 causes almost every error in this tense, because learners reach for the middle column. Say the third form aloud with I have in front of it until it feel

Mini challenge: reach past the middle column

Every option here is a real form of the verb. Only one follows has or have.

He has all the juice.
The match has .
She has across the lake twice.
I have that shirt only once.
They have a new captain.

Key takeaways

Been means the person came back; gone means they are still away.
You can never say I have gone about yourself while you are speaking.
Regular verbs repeat the second form; irregular verbs split into three memorisation groups.
Group 3 is where the errors live — the middle column is never the one you want after has or have.

Present Perfect Passive Voice

Use the passive when the action matters more than the person who performed it, or when the doer is unknown.

Quick answer The present perfect passive is formed with has/have + been + past participle, as in The work has been completed. Use it when the result matters more than the doer.

Colour key for this section has / have — helping verb been — the passive link past participle — the action not — the negative past simple — the wrong form

Formula: subject + has/have + been + past participle

The work + has + been + completed

Active	Passive
They have completed the work.	The work has been completed.
Someone has stolen my bicycle.	My bicycle has been stolen.
The committee has approved the plan.	The plan has been approved.
Engineers have repaired the bridge.	The bridge has been repaired.
The company has sold all the tickets.	All the tickets have been sold.
Doctors have treated forty patients.	Forty patients have been treated.
They have not announced the results.	The results have not been announced.

Three points to remember

Only verbs that take an object can become passive. He has arrived has no passive form, because nothing receives the action.

The helping verb agrees with the new subject. The bridge has been repaired but The bridges have been repaired.

Been never disappears. ❌ The work has completed. That sentence says the work did the completing.

Naming the doer

To name the doer, add by: The plan has been approved by the committee.

Flip it: active → passive

Read the active sentence, decide the passive twin in your head, then tap to check. Watch which word the helping verb has to agree with.

Active: The council has closed the road. ↓ becomes ↓ Passive: The road has been closed. One road, so the helping verb stays has.

Active: The bank has blocked my card. ↓ becomes ↓ Passive: My card has been blocked. The doer disappears, which is the point — you may not know who at the bank did it.

Active: Volunteers have planted two hundred trees. ↓ becomes ↓ Passive: Two hundred trees have been planted. The new subject is plural, so has changes to have.

Active: The school has not published the timetable. ↓ becomes ↓ Passive: The timetable has not been published. Not keeps its seat straight after the helping verb, and been follows it.

Active: The train has arrived. ↓ becomes ↓ Passive: No passive form exists. Arrive takes no object, so there is nothing to move to the front. Rule 1 in action.

Contractions in the Present Perfect

Full Form	Contraction
I have	I’ve
You have	You’ve
We have	We’ve
They have	They’ve
He has	He’s
She has	She’s
It has	It’s
has not	hasn’t
have not	haven’t

The one that causes confusion: he’s can mean he is or he has. What follows tells you which.

He’s working. → is, because working is an -ing form.
He’s worked here for years. → has, because worked is a past participle.
It’s raining. → is.
It’s stopped raining. → has.

Teacher tip

Contractions of have are also used with not in two ways in British English: they haven’t finished and they’ve not finished. Both are standard.

Is it is or has?

Look at the word straight after the apostrophe-s. An -ing form means is. A past participle means has.

Correct so far: 0 of 5

She’s taken the wrong bus.

He’s waiting outside.

It’s been a long day.

She’s a doctor.

He’s gone to Karachi.

Present Perfect vs Other English Tenses

Present Perfect vs Present Perfect Continuous

Point	Present Perfect	Present Perfect Continuous
Form	has/have + participle	has/have + been + verb-ing
Focus	the result, the completed amount	the activity itself and its duration
Question it answers	how many? how much?	how long? what have you been doing?
Example	I have written three emails.	I have been writing emails all morning.
Example	She has read the report.	She has been reading the report since nine.
Example	They have painted the room.	They have been painting the room. (maybe unfinished)
Stative verbs	used: I have known him for years.	not used: ❌ I have been knowing him.

The test: choose the continuous when the effort or the stretch of time is the point, and the simple present perfect when the outcome is the point. He has been running explains why he is out of breath. He has run five kilometres tells you the achievement.

Present Perfect vs Simple Present

Point	Present Perfect	Simple Present
Meaning	started in the past, still true	a habit, routine, or general fact
Duration	takes for and since	does not take for and since for duration
Example	I have lived here for six years.	I live here.
Example	She has worked at the clinic since May.	She works at the clinic.
Example	We have known them a long time.	We know them.

This is the error that carries over from many other languages, where the present tense is used for duration:

❌ I live in Doha since 2021.

✅ I have lived in Doha since 2021.

❌ She works here for ten years.

✅ She has worked here for ten years.

❌ I know him since college.

✅ I have known him since college.

Present Perfect vs Past Perfect

Point	Present Perfect	Past Perfect
Form	has/have + participle	had + participle
Reference point	now	a moment in the past
Example	The train has left. (I am on the platform now)	The train had left. (when I reached the platform)
Example	She has finished her degree.	She had finished her degree before she married.
Typical partner	just, already, yet, since, for	before, after, by the time, when

Present perfect · anchored to now

train left NOW

The train has left. I am standing on the platform as I speak.

Past perfect · anchored to an earlier past

train left I arrived now

The train had left. The sentence stops at the moment I reached the platform.

The test: one reference point, one tense. If your sentence is anchored to the present, use the present perfect. If it is anchored to an earlier past event, step back to the past perfect.

Capstone: one question from every section above

Five questions covering the passive, contractions, and all three comparisons.

Correct so far: 0 of 5

1. Choose the correct passive: Someone has taken my umbrella.

2. In She’s finished the report, the apostrophe-s stands for…

3. Your friend is out of breath. Which sentence explains why?

4. Which sentence is correct?

5. By the time we reached the hall, the speech ______.

Key takeaways from this section

Passive present perfect is always three parts: has/have + been + participle. Drop been and the meaning flips.
Only verbs with an object can go passive, and the helping verb agrees with the new subject, not the old one.
He’s means is before an -ing form and has before a participle.
Continuous for the activity, simple present perfect for the result.
Duration up to now needs has/have, never the simple present.
One reference point, one tense: now takes the present perfect, an earlier past takes the past perfect.

American English vs British English Usage

Both varieties use the present perfect, but American English allows the simple past in several places where British English requires the perfect. Neither is wrong; the difference is preference, and exam boards such as Cambridge and IELTS follow the British pattern.

British versus American present perfect usage
Situation	British English	American English
With yet	Have you eaten yet?	Did you eat yet? (also “Have you eaten yet?”)
With just	I have just seen him.	I just saw him.
With already	She has already left.	She already left.
Participle of get	He has got better.	He has gotten better.
Possession	I have got two brothers.	I have two brothers.

A Few Extra Observations

Gotten survives only in American English, and only for the meaning obtained or became. Even Americans say I’ve got a headache for possession, not gotten.
In American writing, the present perfect is still normal with since, for, ever, and never. The relaxation applies mainly to just, already, and yet.
For a global audience, the present perfect is the safer choice in all these sentences, because British readers find Did you eat yet? odd while American readers accept Have you eaten yet? without blinking.

Time Expressions Commonly Used with the Present Perfect

Time expressions commonly used with the present perfect
Time Expression	Points To	Example
since 2019 / since Monday	a starting point	I have taught here since 2019.
for six months	a length of time	He has been away for six months.
so far	progress up to now	We have sold ninety tickets so far.
up to now / until now	the same	Up to now, nobody has complained.
today / this morning	an unfinished period	She has not called today.
this week / this month / this year	an unfinished period	I have read four books this month.
recently / lately	the near past	Have you seen him recently?
in the last few days	a period reaching now	Prices have risen in the last few days.
over the past decade	a period reaching now	The city has doubled in size over the past decade.
ever since	continuously from a point	He has avoided me ever since.
never before	emphasis on experience	Never before has the team played so well.
how long	duration questions	How long have you waited?
the first / second time	a repeated experience	This is the first time I have flown.
always	a whole life up to now	I have always wanted to learn Arabic.

Time Expressions That Block the Present Perfect

yesterday, last night, last week, last year, in 2015, two hours ago, when I was young, at 6 o’clock. A specific past time word always signals the simple past, not the present perfect.

100+ Present Perfect Examples

The present perfect examples below are grouped by everyday topic so you can borrow whole sentences for speaking practice, homework, or writing.

How the sentences are marked has / have — helping verb past participle — the action been — passive link not — negative time or signal word

105sentences

80positive

9negative

10questions

6passive

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Showing 105 of 105 sentences.