Present Perfect Tense

Form the present perfect tense with have (has) and the past participle of the main verb.

I have worked
You have worked
He has worked
She has worked
It was worked
We have worked
You have worked
They have worked.

The present perfect tense describes an action that happened at an indefinite time in the
past.

I have read that book.

They have moved to Los Angeles.

The present perfect tense also describes an action that was repeated several times in the
past.

I have read that book several times.

He has studied this lesson over and over.

Supply the present perfect tense form of the verb in parentheses.

1. I ____________ (speak) to him about it several times.

(I have spoken to him about it severalty times)
2. We ____________ (finish) all our homework.
3. He ___________ (visit) us many times.
4. She _____________ (return) my book at last.
5. I am afraid that I ___________ (lose) my car keys.
6. You ___________ (b e) in Florida many times.
7. It __________ (rain) a lot this year.
8. We ___________ (learn) many new words in this course.
9. We _____________(tell) Ed what you said.
10. They ___________ (hear) that story before.
11. We ____________ (lend) money to them several times.
12. Mr. Katz __________ (go) to South America to work.
13. They ___________ (make) that same mistake several times.
14. She ___________ (see) that movie three times.
15. Harvey ___________ (make) and ____________ (lose) several fortunes.

The past participle of all regular verbs is the same as the past tense form: walked, talked,
studied, etc. The past participles of irregular verbs are often very irregular and must simply
be memorized. See Appendix for complete list.

Present Perfect Tense

Present perfect tense sentences usually don’t mention exact times of actions. The
simple past tense is most often used to mention or imply n exact time of an action.

Past: He went to Boston yesterday.

Present Perfect: He has gone to Boston several times.

Past: I was here last night.

Present Perfect: I have been here before.

Supply either the simple past tense or the present perfect tense form as required
by the meaning.
1. I ___________ (go) to bed late last night; I ___________ (do) this many
times lately.
(I went to bed late last night; I have done this many times lately)
2. Mr. Ashe ___________ (go) to Chicago last week.
3. I ___________ (read) that book several times.
4. I first ___________ (read) it while I was on my vacation last summer.
5. I ___________ (be) in Norfolk many times.
6. Mr. Dale ____________ (have) little experience in teaching that subject.
7. Billy _________(fall) as he was crossing the street.
8. I ___________ (see) Diane a few days ago.
9. When the bell rang, Wade ____________ (jump) from his seat and
__________ (run) from the room.
10. I ____________ (try) that restaurant again and again, but I do not like the
food there.
11. When I was young, I often ___________ (go) finishing with my father.
12. I ____________ (complete) my paper at last.
13. You ___________ (start) to study English last winter.
14. The day before yesterday, we ___________ (have) a bad storm.
15. I hear that you __________ (give) up the idea of studying Russian.
16. I ____________ never ___________ (be) to Italy.
17. It ___________ (be) very cold yesterday.
18. We ____________ (learn) many new words in this course.
19. The First World War ____________ (begin) in 1914 and ___________ (end)
in 1918.
20. Rebecca says that she _____________ (lose) her purse.