Present perfect

Rules

• Rule 1: have / has + past participle

  Use have with I / you / we / they and has with he / she / it. Then add the past participle (V3). Short forms: I've, she's, we've…

  Pattern: I / you / we / they + have + V3 · he / she / it + has + V3

  Example: We have painted the fence.

  Example: Dad has fixed my bike.

• Rule 2: The past participle (V3)

  For regular verbs, V3 is the same as the past: -ed (*play → played → played*). Irregular verbs have their own V3, and we learn them by heart: *go → went → gone*, *see → saw → seen*, *eat → ate → eaten*, *do → did → done*, *be → was/were → been*.

  Example: I have written a poem.

  Example: They have gone to the movies.

• Rule 3: ever and never

  We use these for life experiences. ever goes in questions: *Have you ever…?* never means “not at any time”.

  Example: Have you ever climbed a mountain?

  Example: I have never seen snow.

• Rule 4: just, already, yet

  just (a moment ago) and already (before now, sooner than expected) go between have / has and V3. yet goes at the end of negatives and questions. (In everyday American English, the past simple is also common with these words: *I just ate.*)

  Example: The movie has just started.

  Example: I have already packed my bag.

Common mistakes

• I have saw that movie. → I have seen that movie.

  After have, use V3, not the past form.

• He have finished. → He has finished.

  he → has.

• I have visited Paris last year. → I visited Paris last year.

  With a finished time like last year or ago, use the past simple.