PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE

The Present Perfect Simple is formed with the Present Tense of Have + Past participle
I / you / we / they have (ve) gone
He / she / it has (s) eaten.
USE : This tense is used to connect past and present. We use it to refer to :
a) Action in the recent past , especially with already, just, yet, recently etc.
e.g.
They have just come.
She hasnt arrived yet.
I have met him recently.
b) General experience, especially with ever, never, before etc.
She has never been to France.
Have you ever eaten caviar ?
c) The Indefinite Past- the time of the action is not mentioned. We are interested in what has
happened, not when it happened.
Compare : I saw a good film yesterday.
He has not seen Titanic yet.
d) Actions starting in the past and continuing to the present, especially with for and since.
My friends have lived here for ten years.
They havent seen each other since Friday.
Note : we use for to refer to a period of time and since to mark a point in time.
e) Unfinished period of time : all my life, in the last few days / months, years, today, this week /
month, year, so far, up to now etc.
We have seen four documentary films this week.
f) With expressions like : its the first / second / third time
Its the first time he has been to England.
With a number of adverbs: ever, often, seldom, never, yet, still, already.
e.g.
We have already written our report.
They havent finished it yet.
g) Action completed in the past which has some relevance to the present : there is a present result of
the action. We use such adverbs like : just, recently, lately.
The professor can start the lecture as all the students have just arrived.
Mother has just made an apple pie. Would you like some ?

Exercises
I. Put the verbs in brackets into the Present Perfect tense:
1. He never (visit) the British Museum .
2. Sheila (enjoy) her visit in New York this year.

3. They (not hear) from Billy recently.

4. The film (already / finish).
5. The speakers (not refer) to that document yet.
6. He (take) the entrance examination at the Polytechnic Institute recently.
7. The engine of the car (just / break) down .
8. It seems that her mind (break) down from overwork.
9. He (never / be) to Italy.
10.Tom (do) many interesting things so far.
II. Rewrite the sentences as indicated :
e.g.

She has never been at the Zoo before.

Its the first time she has been at the Zoo.

1. They have never been to Greece.

2. She has never driven a car before.
3. I have never played computer games.
4. My brother has broken his leg twice.
5. She has flown by plane twice.
6. They have told her twice not to do that.
7. We have never eaten Yorkshire pudding.
8. Susan has never played badminton before.
9. My brother has never worn blue jeans.
10.Ive never seen such a bad TV programme before.
III. Put in for or since :
1. ...... November
2. ...... five years
3. ...... Easter
4. ...... three oclock
5. ...... Monday
6. ...... she left university
7. ...... thirty minutes
8. ...... a long time
9. ...... 1992
10. ......she telephoned
11. ......they arrived home
12. ......ages
IV. Make a new sentence as shown :
e.g.

Ive never been given such nice flowers

Theyre the nicest flowers I have ever been given.

1. He has never travelled by plane before. Its ...

2. Its two years since we last met. We ...
3. We got married ten years ago. We ...
4. Its a long time since Grannie visited us. Grannie ...
5. Its weeks since I last went to the public library. We ...

6. Our friends have never had a birthday party before. Its ...
7. I have never met such an enthusiastic person. She ...
8.She hasnt won a beauty contest before.
9. He has never read such an interesting review.
10.They have never felt so tired before.
V. Read the text below and decide which word or phrase below best fits each space. Circle the
letter of option you choose. The exercise begins with an example (0).
Adrian is a senior in high school in Miami, Florida. His family ... (0) B... to the United States
recently... His family ... (1) ... always to make it in the United States. They ... (2) ... in low income
neighbourhoods which are made up of African- Americans and Latinos. There are many gangs in the
neighbourhood; in fact, almost everyone is in a gang of some sort. Adrian ... (3) ... rather quiet lately
and ... (4) ... to play his cello for hours. His dream ... (5) ... always to become a classical musician one
day.
Every day at school, he feels presure to join a gang. Sometimes guys surround him . He never ... (6)
... American. He ... (7) ... the food and long talks he ... (8) ... with his friends. It seems that he really ...
(9) ... any close friends here .
0. A have come
1. A have struggled
2. A has lived
3. A have been
4. A enjoyed
5. A was
6. A feel
7. A missed
8. A has had
9. A didnt make

B has come
C had come
B have been struggling C has struggled
B has been living
C have lived
B was
C has been
B has enjoyed
C have enjoyed
B will be
C has been
B felt
C has felt
B misses
C has missed
B had
C have had
B hasnt made
C hadnt made

VI. Identify the grammar and spelling errors in the following text and correct them :
Because we had entered the age of sophisticated and inovative computer technology, we had began
to witness a new genre of crime which were unknown just two decades ago : computer crime. This
type of crime can be defining loosely as unauthorized access, use, change or taking of anothers
computer system or files.
Quite often high school or college students intentionally has tried to break into a computer system
in order to gain access to classified or confidentiel files. Corporate and government computer systems
are the most popular and challenging targets for these computer hackers. The number of hackers
has increased recently.They have been often releasing the public information to the public or has tried
to alter or destroy a file. Occasionally, a hacker try to embezzle or steal money.
VII. Circle the right verb tense :
1. Have / has they watered the plants yet ?
2. Did he collect / has he collected his plane ticket yet ?
3. Susan lost / has lost her purse this morning .
4. She didnt see / hasnt seen herrelatives recently.
5. Jane didnt have / hasnt ever had a quarrel with her boyfriend.
6. They did have / have always done their work properly.
7. George is eaten / has already eaten two slices of cake.

8. Mother has drunk / had already drunk three cups of coffee.

9. The car has broken / had broken twice this week.
10.John was / has been late for work three times this month.
VIII. Put a or correct the sentences :
1. Mark drove to Bristol last month to visit his brother.
......
2. I have known an old woman once who had ten cats.
......
3.Susan Sullivan already did four TV interviews about her new exhibition. ......
4. John felt hungry. Then he has remembered the cheese in the fridge.
......
5. We have had enormous problems with our dog recently. ......
6. I have talked to my German teacher yesterday about the term paper. ......
7. They still live in the same cottage they have bought twenty years ago. ......
8. You have not explainde clearly what you want me to do. ......
9. We lived in Paris for three years now and I like it a lot.
......
10. There were three burglaries in our street so far.
......

Present Perfect Key

I. 1. has never visited

2 . has enjoyed
3. havent heard
4. has already finished
5. havent referred
6. has taken
7. has just broken
8. has broken
9. has never been
10. has done
II. 1. Its the first time they have been to Greece.
2. Its the first time she has driven a car.
3. Its the first time I have played computer games.
4. Its the second time he has broken his leg.
5. Its the second time she has flown by plane.
6. Its the second time they have told her.
7. Its the first time we have eaten Yorkshire pudding.
8. Its the first time Susan has played badminton.
9. Its the first time my brother has worn blue jeans.
10. Its the worst TV programme I have ever seen.
III. 1. since
2. for
3. since
4. since
5. since
6. since

7. for
8. for
9. since
10. since
11. since
12. for

IV. 1. Its the first time I have travelled by plane.

2. We havent met for two years.
3. We have been married for ten years.
4. Grannie hasnt visited us for a long time.
5. We havent gone to the public library for weeks.
6. Its the first time our friends have had a birthday party.
7. She is the most enthusiastic person I have ever met.
8. Its the first time she has won a beauty contest.
9. Its the most interesting review he has ever read.
10. Its the first time they have felt so tired.
V.

VI.

0. B
1. C
2. C
3. C
4. B
have entered
innovative
have begun
was unknown
defined

5. C
6. C
7. B
8. B
9. B
have tried
confidential
have
have released
have tried

VII.

1. have watered
2. has collected
3. has lost
4. hasnt seen
5. hasnt had

6. have done
7. has eaten
8. has drunk
9. has broken
10. has been

VIII.

1.
2. knew
3. has already done
4. remembered
5.

6. talked
7. bought
8.
9. have lived
10. have been