Present Perfect Tense

Identification of the Tense: - The event has surely completed.

For example:
  1. Ravi has gone to school.
  2. They have played football.
  3. He has not studied.
  4. Have they lived here?
There is completeness and surety in all of the above given sentences.
Usage:- In Present Perfect tense we usually use 
(i) Third form of the verb + have (with plural and I)/has (if the subject is singular).
Explanation:-
In first sentence " Rajiv has gone to school."
"Ravi" being a singular noun is carrying has along with third form of the verb "gone."
In second sentence " They have played football"
"They" being a plural pronoun is carrying have along with third form of the verb "played."
In third sentence "He has not studied."
Being a negative sentence with sigular pronoun has  is followed by third form "studied", of the verb.
In fourth sentece "Have they lived here?"
It is an interrogative sentence haveing plural pronoun thus preceeding have to the pronoun followed by third form of the verb "lived".
Affirmative
Negative

I have studied.
We have studied.
You have studied.
He has studied.
They have studied.
Rohit has studied.
Girls have studied.

I have not studied.
We have not studied.
You have not studied.
He has not studied.
They have not studied.
Rohit has not studied.
Girls have not studied.

Interrogative
Negative interrogative

Have I studied?
Have we studied?
Have you studied?
Has he studied?
Have they studied?
Has Rohit studied?
Have girls studied?

Have I not studied?
Have we not studied?
Have you not studied?
Has he not studied?
Have they not studied?
Has Rohit not studied?
Have girls not studied?



Use of Present Perfect Tense:-
to express a recently completed action.

  • I have just finished my home-work.
  • He has gone to school.

to express past action when the time is not given and not definite.

  • I have read the story but I don’t understand it.
  • Have you had your lunch? No, I have not had it yet.
to express past actions or events the result of which still persist.
  • She has had a bad accident. (Perhaps she is in hospital.)
  • The prisoners have escaped from the jail. (They are still at large.)

to express an action that began in the past and continues up to the present moment.

  • I have lived here for ten years. (I am still here)
  • We have waited all day. (We are still waiting)
  • She has always helped us. (She still helps us)

Remember:
  • Present Perfect Tense expresses the completion of an action by now and not an action done  at a definite time.
  • This tense expresses the present state of a completed action.
  • This tense must never be used with a definite time in the past, as: yesterday, last month/ week ago etc.
  • The following adverbials are generally used in this tense:                                                       just, never, ever, so far, till now, lately, recently, yet, already, before, today, this week/ month/ year etc.

Present Perfect Tense Exercises

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