Intermediate · Tenses made easy · topic 23 of 59 · 18 min
Present perfect: have done, has been
Explanation
The present perfect (have/has + third form of the verb) is about a past action that matters NOW. When there is no exact past time, and the result is important today, use it.
| Subject | have/has | past participle | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| I / you / we / they | have | finished | I've finished my homework. |
| he / she / it | has | gone | She's gone to the market. |
| Negative | haven't / hasn't | eaten | I haven't eaten yet. |
| Question | Have / Has ...? | seen | Have you seen my keys? |
| Verb | Past | Past participle (3rd form) |
|---|---|---|
| go | went | gone |
| see | saw | seen |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| do | did | done |
| be | was/were | been |
| write | wrote | written |
| take | took | taken |
Four main uses
Have you ever been to Kerala?
Say it: hav yoo EV-er bin to KER-a-la?
क्या तुम कभी केरल गए हो?
Life experience: ever (कभी) / never (कभी नहीं). "Been to" = gone and come back.
I've just sent the email.
Say it: aiv JUST SENT the EE-mayl
मैंने अभी-अभी ईमेल भेजा है।
Recent action: just, already, yet.
Have you paid the electricity bill yet? No, I haven't paid it yet.
Say it: hav yoo PAYD the i-lek-TRIS-i-tee BIL YET?
क्या तुमने बिजली का बिल भर दिया? नहीं, अभी तक नहीं भरा।
"Yet" goes at the end of questions and negatives.
I've lived in Delhi for ten years.
Say it: aiv LIVD in DEL-ee for TEN YEERZ
मैं दस साल से दिल्ली में रह रहा हूँ।
Started in the past, still true now. Hindi uses "से" for both since and for.
She's worked here since 2019.
Say it: sheez WURKT heer sins TWEN-tee nyn-TEEN
वह 2019 से यहाँ काम कर रही है।
| for + a length of time | since + a starting point |
|---|---|
| for two hours | since 9 am |
| for three days | since Monday |
| for five years | since 2020 / since I was a child |
Present perfect or simple past?
If you say WHEN it happened (yesterday, last year, in 2018, two days ago), use the simple past. If the time is not given and the result matters now, use the present perfect.
I've lost my wallet. I lost it yesterday at the market.
Say it: aiv LOST my WOL-it. ai LOST it YES-ter-day...
मेरा बटुआ खो गया है। कल बाज़ार में खोया था।
First sentence: the news (present perfect). Second: the exact time (simple past).
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Watch the lesson
Present perfect: have done, has been · 1/7
Hello! Today we learn the present perfect. It connects the past with now.
Prefer a video by a teacher? Find free videos on “present perfect tense since for ever never spoken english in hindi” on YouTube ↗
In real life: A job interview: experience questions
Interviewer: How long have you worked in customer service? Sneha: I've worked in customer service for four years. Interviewer: Have you ever handled an angry customer? Sneha: Yes, many times. Last month, I calmed a customer who had waited three days for a refund. Interviewer: Have you used our software before? Sneha: No, I haven't used it yet, but I've used similar tools and I learn quickly.
Practice (0/4 done)
Say these sentences.
I've lived in Pune for five years. I've never been to Kolkata.
मैं पाँच साल से पुणे में रह रहा हूँ। मैं कभी कोलकाता नहीं गया।
Listen and type the sentence.
Answer in full sentences: How long have you lived in your town? Have you ever travelled by plane? What have you done today? What have you not done yet?
Complete: "I have worked here ___ 2018."
Quick quiz
Related help
Before this, learn
This topic builds on these. If something here feels new, open them first.
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- I am, you are, he is: the verb "be"Sentence building blocks
- Telling a story wellFluency and confidence
Questions people ask about this
Open a question to see the answer and why. The first ones are this topic's own quiz, so try the quiz above before you peek.
Which is correct?
Answer: I saw him yesterday.
With an exact past time (yesterday), use the simple past.
Complete: "She has lived in Mumbai ___ six years."
Answer: for
A length of time takes "for".
What is the 3rd form (past participle) of "go"?
Answer: gone
go - went - gone.
Which is the best question about life experience?
Answer: Have you ever been to Ladakh?
Life experience without a time: "Have you ever been...?"
Choose the correct sentence.
Answer: I have been living here since 2015.
Started in the past and continuing now: present perfect (continuous) + since.
"I had gone to the market yesterday" (with no other past action). Better?Related
Answer: I went to the market yesterday.
One simple finished action with a time: simple past.
Choose the correct sentence.Related
Answer: They are waiting outside.
They + are + verb-ing.
Complete: "The new bridge ___ next year."Related
Answer: will be built
Future passive: will be + past participle. The bridge does not build itself.
Which detail is best for this answer?Related
Answer: A project or internship with a result
Talk about work-related experience and what you achieved.
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Next steps
- 1 more topic in “Tenses made easy” before its exam: The tense map: all twelve tenses on one page.
- Module 6 exam: tenses · 13 questions · 20 min, without help. 4 topics of this module still to finish first.
- Then the next module, Polite and useful grammar. 59 topics left in the course before the final exam.