Present Perfect 1 (I Have Done)

Study this example situation:

Tom can’t find his key. He’s lost his key. (= He has lost …)

he has lost his key = he lost it and he doesn’t have it now

have lost / has lost is the present perfect simple:

The present perfect simple is have/has + past participle. The past participle oft en ends in -ed (finished/decided etc.), but many verbs are irregular (lost/done/written etc.).

When we say ‘something has happened’, this is usually new information:

1. Ow! I’ve cut my finger.
2. The road is closed. There’s been an accident. (= There has been …)
3. Police have arrested two men in connection with the robbery.

When we use the present perfect, there is a connection with now. The action in the past has a result now:

1. Tom has lost his key. (= he doesn’t have it now)
2. He told me his name, but I’ve forgotten it. (= I can’t remember it now)
3. Sally is still here. She hasn’t gone out. (= she is here now)
4. I can’t find my bag. Have you seen it? (= do you know where it is now?)

Compare gone (to) and been (to):

1. James is on holiday. He has gone to Italy. (= he is there now or on his way there)
2. Amy is back home now. She has been to Italy. (= she has now come back)

You can use the present perfect with just, already and yet

Just = a short time ago:

1. ‘Are you hungry?’ ‘No, I’ve just had lunch.’
2. Hello. Have you just arrived?

Already = sooner than expected:

1. ‘Don’t forget to pay the bill.’           ‘I’ve already paid it.’
2. ‘What time is Mark leaving?’          ‘He’s already left .’

Already = sooner than expected:

1. ‘Don’t forget to pay the bill.’ ‘I’ve already paid it.’
2. ‘What time is Mark leaving?’ ‘He’s already left .’

Yet = until now. We use yet to show that we are expecting something to happen.
We use yet in questions and negative sentences:

1. Has it stopped raining yet?
2. I’ve written the email, but I haven’t sent it yet.

You can also use the past simple (did, went, had etc.) in the examples on this page. So you can say:

1. Ben isn’t here. He’s gone out. or He went out.
2. ‘Are you hungry?’ ‘No, I’ve just had lunch.’ or ‘No, I just had lunch.’ 

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Language Level