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There are two present perfect tenses in the English language.
The present perfect simple tense
Form
Positive statement: I have cooked, I have written , He has cooked, He has written (I've cooked, He's cooked)
Negative statement: I have not worked (I haven't worked), He has not worked (He hasn't worked)
Question: Have you worked?
Negative question: Have you not worked? (Haven't you worked?)
Use
The present perfect combines the past and present.
1. We use the present perfect simple for activities or states that started in the past and still continue.
We have lived here since 2001.
She has known me for more than two years.
I haven't seen her since Christmas.
How long have they been here?
It is often used with expressions indicating that the activity began in the past and comes up to now, such as: for 10 years, since 1995, all week, all the time, always, lately, recently ...
We have always worked in York. (We still work in York.)
It has been quite cold lately. (It is still cold.)
If the activity started in the past and ended in the past we cannot use the present perfect.
I have smoked for 5 years. (present perfect - I still smoke.)
I smoked for 5 years. (past simple - I smoked from 2000 to 2005, then I stopped.)
2. We use it to describe an experience that happened in the past (the time is not given), but the effects are important now.
She has been to London. (And so she knows London.)
Compare:
I have already been to Greece. (experience - And I want to go somewhere else now.)
I have been in Greece for two weeks. (state - I am stlill in Greece.)
When we use this tense to express some experience, we can use following adverbs - ever, never, already, often, occassionaly, yet, before ......
Have you ever tried it?
She has never read this book.
We haven't seen it yet.
Have you fallen off a bike yet?
I haven't met her before.
3. The present perfect simple is used for past activities that have a present result.
The bus hasn't arrived. (It did not arrived on time and we are still waiting now.)
I have bought a new house. (I did it last month and it means that now I have a new address.)
For such activities we often use these adverbs - yet, already, just.
They haven't finished their homework yet. (They can't go out now.)
Has she signed it yet? (Can I take the document?)
I've already sent the letter. (There is no need to go to the post-office.)
We have just heard the news. (We know about it.)
Present perfect vs past simple
With the present perfect we do not specify when the action happened. If we give the time or it is clear from the context that we mention a certain time in the past, we must use the past simple.
Have you had breakfast? But: Did you have breakfast at the hotel?
I've read your letter. But: I read your letter last night.
They have told me. But: They told me when we met.
Have you had the operation? But: When did you have the operation?
In the present perfect we express that something happened in the past which is important now. The time is not relevant.
In the past tense the time of the action is relevant.
Present perfect vs present simple
The present perfect is used for actions that began in the past and continue at present. It expresses how long the action has been.
The present simple is used for actions that are repeated at present. It expresses how often the action happens.
She has worked here for a long time. But: She works here every day.
How long have you worked here? But: How often do you work here?
- Try some present perfect tense exercises (simple and continuous) to understand the difference.
- See also some printable present perfect exercises at ESL printables and worksheets, where you can also download and print the free grammar rules in pdf with more examples.
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