The present perfect simple is used to talk about actions or events that happened at an unspecified time before now and connecting the past with the present.
In Spanish it is known as "pretérito perfecto simple" or "pretérito perfecto compuesto."
Past actions with a present result
I have visited England several times.
He visitado Inglaterra varias veces.
She has seen Big Ben.
Ella ha visto el Big Ben.
Unspecified time in the past
They have tried fish and chips.
Han probado el pescado con patatas fritas.
We have studied English grammar.
Hemos estudiado gramática inglesa.
Experience in someone's life
He has lived in London for three years.
Ha vivido en Londres durante tres años.
She has never been to Stonehenge.
Ella nunca ha estado en Stonehenge.
Learn more idioms & phrasal verbs at BuhoIngles.com/watch.
Positive sentences:
Subject + have/has + past participle
I have visited England.
Yo he visitado Inglaterra.
She has seen Big Ben.
Ella ha visto el Big Ben.
Negative sentences:
Subject + have/has + not + past participle
I have not visited England.
Yo no he visitado Inglaterra.
She has not seen Big Ben.
Ella no ha visto el Big Ben.
Open-ended questions:
Have/Has + subject + past participle
Have you visited England?
¿Has visitado Inglaterra?
Has she seen Big Ben?
¿Ha visto ella el Big Ben?
Closed-ended questions:
Have/Has + subject + past participle
Have you visited England?
Has she seen Big Ben?
¿Ha visto ella el Big Ben?
Remember that some verbs are regular and often just end "-ed".
Others are irregular and have their own spelling rules.
Regular verbs
Verb | Regular |
Visit | Visited |
Work | Worked |
Study | Studied |
Play | Played |
Dance | Danced |
Irregular verbs
Verb | Irregular |
See | Seen |
Go | Gone |
Be | Been |
Do | Done |
Said | Said |
Master English with my online English courses at BuhoIngles.com/Workshops.
Let's look at when not to use present perfect simple.
Use the simple past when the action happened at a specific time in the past:
Last year, I visited England.
El año pasado, visité Inglaterra.
She saw Big Ben yesterday.
Ella vio el Big Ben ayer.
Use the present perfect continuous when the action started in the past and is still ongoing:
They have been living in London for three years.
Han estado viviendo en Londres durante tres años.
We have been studying English grammar.
Hemos estado estudiando gramática Inglesa.
Positive sentences
I have visited Buckingham Palace.
He visitado el Palacio de Buckingham.
They have tried traditional English breakfast.
Han probado el desayuno Inglés tradicional.
Negative sentences
I have not seen the Tower of London.
No he visto la Torre de Londres.
She has not tasted fish and chips.
Ella no ha probado el pescado con patatas fritas.
Open-ended questions
Have you been to Stonehenge?
¿Has estado en Stonehenge?
Have they visited Windsor Castle?
¿Han visitado el Castillo de Windsor?
Closed-ended questions
Have you visited the British Museum?
¿Has visitado el Museo Británico?
Has she seen the Changing of the Guard?
¿Ha visto ella el Cambio de Guardia?
The present perfect simple does not have a specific future tense, we usually use the future simple tense or other future tenses.
Connect with us and join the speaking club at BuhoIngles.com/Speak.
Questions
Write your answers in the chat box.
1. Have you ever ____ fish and chips?
a) ate
b) eat
c) eaten
d) eats
2. She ____ Stonehenge last summer.
a) visits
b) visit
c) visited
d) visiting
3. _____ you ever been to the Tower of London?
a) Have
b) Has
c) Do
d) Did
4. We haven't _____ the London Eye yet.
a) seeing
b) saw
c) see
d) seen
5. ____ they ever tried traditional English afternoon tea?
a) Have
b) Did
c) Has
d) Do
6. I've lived in Manchester ____ five years.
a) since
b) for
c) until
d) at
7. He has never _____ a Premier League football match.
a) saw
b) seeing
c) seen
d) see
8. ____ you ever visited Cambridge University?
a) Have
b) Do
c) Has
d) Did
9. They have ____ Big Ben many times.
a) sees
b) seen
c) seeing
d) see
10. ____ she been to the Lake District?
a) Have
b) Has
c) Did
d) Do
Connect with us and join the speaking club at BuhoIngles.com/Speak.
Commentaires