2 Present Perfect Affirmative
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Introduction
The present perfect is a tense used to express completed actions which have occurred in the past, are connected to the present and still have effects on it.
When expressed in its affirmative form, the verb confirms something about the subject.
Form
The present perfect, in its affirmative form, has this structure:
Subject + have/has + past participle + …
- Have/has: the third person singular changes from have to has;
- Regular past participles are formed by adding -d or -ed to the base form of verbs;
- Irregular past participles have to be learned by heart.
| Subject | have/has | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| I/You | have | worked |
| He/She/It | has | worked |
| We/You/They | have | worked |
Short forms of the affirmative form are: I’ve – you’ve – he’s…
With the present perfect tense we often use time expressions like: ever, never, before, yet, just, already, still, so far, up until now…
{Check the topic Past Participle to learn irregular verbs}.
Example
Past situations with results in the present
- I have been lucky!
- He has been born.
- We have had the same experience!
Finished actions referring to life experiences up to now
- I have talked to her four times.
- This is the most incredible castle she has ever visited.
- It’s true that they have never travelled without their computer.
Use
We use present perfect, in its affirmative form, to confirm:
- Past situations with results in the present;
- Finished actions referring to life experience up to now.
Summary
We use the present perfect, in the affirmative form, to confirm completed actions which have occurred in the past, are connected to the present and still have effects on it.
When we use the present perfect in its affirmative form, we start with the subject followed by have and a past participle. In the third person singular, we use has.
NOTE: The past participle is usually used to form the perfect tenses, and it indicates past or completed actions. It is formed by adding -d or -ed to the base form of regular verbs, whereas irregular verbs have different fixed forms which need to be studied by heart.
For example:
— “She has worked on an important project these morning.” = We use the present perfect because the past action still has effects on the present (for example, she is well known in her field now).
♦ “She worked on an important project yesterday.” = We use the past simple because the past action is finished and there’s no need to emphasise its effects on the present.
Let’s revise this content within the {Form} section. Take a look at the {Example} section that shows its use within a context.
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