Present Perfect and Past Perfect in English

Present Perfect and Past Perfect

Present Perfect

For past actions with present relevance, experiences, continuing actions. Form: have/has + past participle.

• I have lost my keys. (relevant now)
• She has visited three continents. (experience)
• They have lived here since 2010. (continuing)

Past Perfect

“The past in the past” – an action before another past action. Form: had + past participle.

• When I arrived, the train had already left.
• She had finished before dinner.

Exercise

Put in the correct tense:

1. I (never/be) to London.
2. She (already/eat) when I invited her.
3. They (live) here for five years.

See Comparative and Superlative and Wh-Questions.