All sections
Foundations
The verb system
Describing and connecting
- 09 Adjectives and adverbs
- 10 Prepositions
- 11 Conjunctions
- 12 Building longer sentences
- 13 Punctuation and capital letters
Words and sounds
Practice and progress
05.03Core
Present Perfect
A finished action, but the exact time is not important. The result matters now.
The structure
Positive
Subject + have / has + V3
Negative
Subject + have / has + not + V3
Question
Have / Has + subject + V3 ?
When you use it
- A finished action with no stated time: I have submitted my application. (When? Not important.)
- Life experience up to now: She has visited three countries.
- An action that started in the past and still continues, with for or since: I have lived here for ten years.
- Very recent news: The results have just come out.
Words that signal this tense
alreadyjustyeteverneverso farrecentlyforsincethis week
Examples
- I have finished my homework.میں اپنا کام مکمل کر چکا ہوں۔
- She has lived in Lahore for ten years.وہ دس سال سے لاہور میں رہ رہی ہے۔
- He has not eaten anything yet.اس نے ابھی تک کچھ نہیں کھایا۔
- Have you ever travelled by plane?کیا تم نے کبھی جہاز کا سفر کیا ہے؟
- We have already booked the test.ہم ٹیسٹ بک کر چکے ہیں۔
The mistake almost everyone makes
I have seen him yesterday.
I saw him yesterday.
Never use the present perfect with a finished time word (yesterday, last week, in 2019, two days ago). A stated past time always takes the past simple.