Examples

She has visited London.

Cell phones have become more powerful.

You**’ve never** seen a play like this before!

Researchers have discovered risks with social media.

🧾Definition

The present perfect tense shows that something happened or existed before now. Although it describes things from the past, it is actually a present tense because the clause is presented as relevant to the present time.

🔬Discovery

| We**’ve braved** the belly of the beast. We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace, And the norms and notions of what “just is” Isn’t always justice. And yet the dawn is ours before we knew it. Somehow we do it. Somehow, we’ve weathered and witnessed A nation that isn’t broken, but simply unfinished.

(Amanda Gorman, “The Hill We Climb”) | What word is contracted in we’ve? What do you noticed about the form of the verbs braved, learned, weathered, witnessed? What is the difference between we’ve learned and we learned, or we’ve witnessed and we witnessed? | | --- | --- |

✅Form

The present perfect has two parts:

Auxiliary verbs are helping verbs. The present perfect requires the auxiliary verb have (has for the third-person singular) plus the past participle. The past participle is the -ed form of regular verbs (lived, walked, worked, followed). The past participles of irregular verbs sometimes end in -(e)n but not always (been, taken, eaten, gone, written, found, read).

The auxiliary have is often contracted in speech and less formal written registers: I’ve read that book, she’s been tired all day.

The negative is formed by adding not between have and the participle (I have not eaten yet). Have not is often contracted to haven’t and has not to hasn’t.

<aside> ⚠️ Careful!

• WEIRD The present perfect form of the verb have is have had (have + past participle). It looks funny, but it’s true. For example, I’ve had a great time.
• Don’t assume that every time you see the verb have, you’re looking at the present perfect!
  • The school has a tennis court. (present simple tense)
  • You need to have a haircut. (infinitive)
  • I have to hurry. (semi-modal have to, meaning must)
  • I’ve got to hurry. (semi-modal have got to, also meaning must)

The difference in use between present perfect and past simple tenses is often subtle. For example, I’ve just eaten and I just ate are used interchangeably in American English.

</aside>

💬Functions

Verbs in the present perfect tense are often found in framing sentences that introduce nonfiction texts because they are useful for describing background.

Another important function of the present perfect is to indicate change over time. For this reason, it is commonly used for linking verbs such as increase, decrease, change.

The present perfect is also required with for (a period of time) and since (a point in time).