What Is the Present Perfect Tense? (with Examples)

The present perfect tense describes an action that began in the past (despite being a present tense). For example:

• John

  has taken

  Sarah’s advice.

• They

  have fixed

  the fence.

Often, the action being described is still continuing into the present (e.g., John continues to take Sarah’s advice). This is how the present perfect tense differs from the

A Video Summary

Here is a short video summarizing the present perfect tense:

Thedescribes an action that began in the past (despite being a present tense). For example:Often, the action being described is still continuing into the present (e.g., John continues to take Sarah’s advice). This is how the present perfect tense differs from the simple past tense Here is a short video summarizing the present perfect tense:

Infographic for the Present Perfect Tense

Here is an infographic explaining the present perfect tense:

More Examples of the Present Perfect Tense

Here are some more examples of the present perfect tense:

• The board

  has decided

  to uphold the appeal.

(This sentence carries the connotation that the board continues to uphold the appeal.)

• I

  have taken

  the wrong path.

(Connotation: I am still on the wrong path.)

Comparing the Present Perfect Tense and the Simple Past Tense

Here is another example of the present perfect tense (highlighted). For comparison, the example is given alongside similar-looking example featuring the simple past tense.

• Janet

  has run

  two miles.

(This is the present perfect tense. In this example, Janet is still running when the words were said.)

• Janet ran two miles.

(This is the simple past tense. In this example, Janet has stopped running when the words were said.)

Here is another example:

• David

  has worked

  alongside two of the world’s finest scientists in the field of entomology.

(This is the present perfect tense. In this example, David might have finished working with those scientists, but the sentence carries the connotation that he is still working as an entomologist.)

• David worked alongside two of the world’s finest scientists in the field of entomology.

(This is the simple past tense. This example carries the connotation that David no longer works as an entomologist.)

Forming the Present Perfect Tense

The present perfect tense is formed:

Here is an infographic explaining the present perfect tense:Here are some more examples of the present perfect tense:Here is another example of the present perfect tense (highlighted). For comparison, the example is given alongside similar-looking example featuring the simple past tense.Here is another example:Theis formed:

[subject]

+

“has” or “have”

+

[past participle]

• I have worked.
• She has painted.

Forming the Past Participle (Regular Verbs)

If it’s a past participle is the same as the

Add “ed” to most verbs:

• jump > jumped
• paint > painted

If a verb of one syllable ends [consonant-vowel-consonant], double the final consonant and add “ed”:

• chat > chatted
• stop > stopped

If the final consonant is “w,” “x,” or “y,” don’t double it:

• sew > sewed
• play > played
• fix > fixed

If last syllable of a longer verb is stressed and ends [consonant-vowel-consonant], double the last consonant and add “ed”:

• incur > incurred
• prefer > preferred

If the first syllable of a longer verb is stressed and the verb ends [consonant-vowel-consonant], just add “ed”:

• open > opened
• enter > entered
• swallow > swallowed

If the verb ends “e,” just add “d”:

• thrive > thrived
• guzzle > guzzled

If the verb ends [consonant + “y”], change the “y” to an “i” and add “ed”:

• cry > cried
• fry > fried

Forming the Past Participle (Irregular Verbs)

If it’s an past participle is formed in all sorts of different ways. Here are some examples:

• arise > arisen
• catch > caught
• choose > chosen
• know > known

You just have to learn them.

Read more about irregular verbs (includes a list of the most common irregular verbs).

The Negative Version

If you need the negative version, you can use the following construction:

If it’s a regular verb , theis the same as the simple past tense . In other words, it is formed like this:Add “ed” to most verbs:If a verb of one syllable ends [consonant-vowel-consonant], double the final consonant and add “ed”:If the final consonant is “w,” “x,” or “y,” don’t double it:If last syllable of a longer verb is stressed and ends [consonant-vowel-consonant], double the last consonant and add “ed”:If the first syllable of a longer verb is stressed and the verb ends [consonant-vowel-consonant], just add “ed”:If the verb ends “e,” just add “d”:If the verb ends [consonant + “y”], change the “y” to an “i” and add “ed”:If it’s an irregular verb , theis formed in all sorts of different ways. Here are some examples:You just have to learn them.If you need the negative version, you can use the following construction:

[subject]

+

“has not” or “have not”

+

[past participle]

• The board

  has not decided

  to uphold the appeal.

• I

  have not taken

  the wrong path.

Remember that “has not” is sometimes written as the

The Question Version

If you need to ask a question, you can use the following word order for a yes/no question:

Remember that “has not” is sometimes written as the contraction “hasn’t.”If you need to ask a question, you can use the following word order for a yes/no question:

“has” or “have”

+

[subject]

+

[past participle]

• Has the board decided

  to uphold the appeal?

• Have I taken

  the wrong path?

You can use the following word order for a

You can use the following word order for a question-word question

[question word]

+

“has” or “have”

+

[subject]

+

[past participle]

• Why has the board decided

  to uphold the appeal?

• How have I taken

  the wrong path?

Verb Tense Widget

Use this widget to learn about the different tenses. How do you use this widget? Well, if there’s a button, a drop-down menu, or a , then you can click it!

to

base form

(

verb)

verb)

Select the tenses.

Present Tenses

Simple Present Tense
The simple present tense is mostly used to describe facts and habits. More…(opens new tab)
I base form
you base form
he/she/it 3rd pers sing present
we base form
you base form
they base form

Present Progressive Tense
The present progressive tense is used for an ongoing action in the present.
More…(opens new tab)
I am present participle
you are present participle
he/she/it is present participle
we are present participle
you are present participle
they are present participle

Present Perfect Tense
The present perfect tense is used for actions that began in the past. (Often, the actions continue into the present.)
More…(opens new tab)
I have past participle
you have past participle
he/she/it has past participle
we have past participle
you have past participle
they have past participle

Present Perfect Progressive Tense
The present perfect progressive tense is used for a continuous activity that began in the past and continues into the present, or a continuous activity that began in past but has now finished (usually very recently).
More…(opens new tab)
I have been present participle
you have been present participle
he/she/it has been present participle
we have been present participle
you have been present participle
they have been present participle

Past Tenses

Simple Past
The simple past tense is used to describe a completed activity that happened in the past.
More…(opens new tab)
I past tense
you past tense
he/she/it past tense
we past tense
you past tense
they past tense

Past Progressive Tense
The past progressive tense is used to describe an ongoing activity in the past. Often, it is used to set the scene for another action.
More…(opens new tab)
I was present participle
you were present participle
he/she/it was present participle
we were present participle
you were present participle
they were present participle

Past Perfect Tense
The past perfect tense is used to emphasize that an action was completed before another took place.
More…(opens new tab)
I had past participle
you had past participle
he/she/it had past participle
we had past participle
you had past participle
they had past participle

Past Perfect Progressive Tense
The past perfect progressive tense is used to show that an ongoing action in the past has ended.
More…(opens new tab)
I had been present participle
you had been present participle
he/she/it had been present participle
we had been present participle
you had been present participle
they had been present participle

Future Tenses

Simple Future
The simple future tense is used for an action that will occur in the future.
More…(opens new tab)
I will base form
you will base form
he/she/it will base form
we will base form
you will base form
they will base form

Future Progressive Tense
The future progressive tense is used for an ongoing action that will occur in the future.
More…(opens new tab)
I will be present participle
you will be present participle
he/she/it will be present participle
we will be present participle
you will be present participle
they will be present participle

Future Perfect Tense
The future perfect tense is used to describe an action that will have been completed at some point in the future.
More…(opens new tab)
I will have past participle
you will have past participle
he/she/it will have past participle
we will have past participle
you will have past participle
they will have past participle

Future Perfect Progressive Tense
The future perfect progressive tense is used for an ongoing action that will be completed at some specified time in the future.
More…(opens new tab)
I will have been present participle
you will have been present participle
he/she/it will have been present participle
we will have been present participle
you will have been present participle
they will have been present participle

The Other Present Tenses

The present perfect tense is one of four present

Slider Showing All the Tenses

The following slider shows all 12

Use this widget to learn about the different tenses. How do you use this widget? Well, if there’s a button, a drop-down menu, or a, then you can click it!Theis one of four present tenses . This table shows all four of the present tenses:The following slider shows all 12 tenses . The present perfect tense is highlighted with a yellow background.

Present Perfect

Carla Muniz

Professora licenciada em Letras

O Present Perfect or Present Perfect Simple (Presente Perfeito ou Presente Perfeito Simples) é um tempo verbal que expressa ações influenciadas pelo presente, ou seja, essas ações ainda estão acontecendo ou foram concluídas recentemente.

O Present Perfect pode ser usado para indicar ações que começaram no passado e se prolongam até o presente. Na língua portuguesa, não há nenhum tempo verbal equivalente ao Present Perfect.

Exemplo:

I have been living in Rio de Janeiro since 2010. (Estou estou morando no Rio de Janeiro desde 2010.)

Por vezes, o tempo em que as ações acontecem é indicado pelos seguintes advérbios.

• already (já)
• yet (já; ainda)
• ever (já; alguma vez)
• just (há pouco; agora mesmo)
• never (nunca)
• always (sempre)
• lately (ultimamente)
• often (normalmente)
• recently (recentemente)
• frequently (frequentemente)

Exemplos:

• She has never been to the States. (Ela nunca esteve nos Estados Unidos.)
• I have always wanted to study German. (Eu sempre quis estudar alemão.)
• He has been arriving early lately. (Ele tem chegado cedo ultimamente.)

Formação do Present Perfect Tense onde o S = subject (sujeito)

Formação do Present Perfect Simple

O Present Perfect Simple é formado pelo verbo auxiliar to have (have/has) conjugado no Simple Present (presente simples) + o Past Participle (particípio passado) do verbo principal.

Veja também:

Has e have

Atenção! (Pay Attention!)

Lembre-se que as flexões de particípio passado dos verbos regulares é igual às flexões do Simple Past (passado simples) dos verbos regulares.

Assim sendo, os particípios passados dos verbos regulares terminam em –d, –ed ou –ied.

No particípio passado dos verbos irregulares, as formas verbais se modificam bastante e não seguem nenhum padrão.

Para compreender melhor o particípio passado dos verbos irregulares, veja também:

Forma Afirmativa (Affirmative Form)

Para a construir frases afirmativas no Present Perfect Simple, utiliza-se a seguinte estrutura:

Sujeito + verbo auxiliar to have no Simple Present + verbo principal no Particípio Passado + complemento

Exemplo:

My parents have visited Portugal three times. (Meus pais visitaram Portugal três vezes)

Obs.: o verbo to have (ter) pode ser utilizado na forma contraída quando conjugado no Present Perfect. Neste caso, usa-se ‘ve como forma contraída de have e ´s como forma contraída de has.

Exemplos:

• She has already gone > She‘s already gone. (Ela já foi.)
• We have been talking too much in class > We‘ve been talking too much in class. (Temos conversado demais na aula.)

Veja também:

Tempos Verbais em Inglês

Forma Negativa (Negative Form)

As frases negativas no Present Perfect Simple incluem o “not” após o verbo auxiliar e seguem a seguinte estrutura:

Sujeito + verbo auxiliar to have no Simple Present + not + verbo principal no Particípio Passado + complemento

Exemplo:

My parents have not visited Portugal three times. (Meus pais não visitaram Portugal três vezes)

Obs.: o verbo to have (ter) pode ser utilizado na forma contraída quando conjugado no Present Perfect.

Neste caso, usa-se haven’t como forma contraída de have not e hasn’t como forma contraída de has not.

Veja também:

Past Perfect

Forma Interrogativa (Interrogative Form)

Para fazer perguntas no Present Perfect Simple, é necessário inverter a ordem do verbo auxiliar na frase, ou seja, ele é posicionado antes do sujeito.

A forma interrogativa do Present Perfect segue a seguinte estrutura:

Verbo auxiliar to have no Simple Presente + sujeito + verbo principal no Particípio Passado + complemento

Exemplo:

Have my parents visited Portugal three times? (Meus pais visitaram Portugal três vezes?)

Present Perfect Simple x Present Perfect Continuous

No Present Perfect Tense há dois modos verbais para o presente: Present Perfect Simple e Present Perfect Continuous.

Confira abaixo as diferenças entre cada um deles.

Present Perfect Simple

O Present Perfect Simple é usado para indicar ações influenciadas pelo presente e que foram concluídas recentemente ou que ainda estão em curso.

Esse tempo verbal é formado pelo verbo auxiliar to have (have/has) conjugado no Simple Present (presente simples) + o Past Participle (particípio passado) do verbo principal.

Exemplo:

I have read this book for two hours. (Eu li esse livro por duas horas.)

Present Perfect Continuous

O Present Perfect Continuous é usado para ações contínuas que iniciaram no passado e continuam no presente.

Ele é formado pelo verbo to have (have/has) conjugado no Simple Present (presente simples) + o verbo to be conjugado no Present Perfect (presente perfeito) + o gerúndio (-ing) do verbo principal.

Exemplo:

I have been reading this book for two hours. (Eu tenho estado a ler esse livro por duas horas.)

Para saber mais sobre verbos que indicam ações contínuas, veja também:

Present Perfect Simple x Simple Past

Muitas pessoas têm dúvidas sobre os usos do Present Perfect Simple e do Simple Past.

Isso acontece pois os dois verbos são utilizados para fazer referência a ações iniciadas no passado.

O Present Perfect pode indicar ações que iniciaram em algum momento do passado e que, no entanto, têm continuidade no presente ou foram concluídas recentemente.

Já o Simple Past indica ações que iniciaram no passado e que já foram concluídas, ou seja, não apresentam uma continuação.

Outro fato que difere o Present Perfect do Simple Past é a formação de cada um deles.

O Present Perfect Simple é formado pelo verbo auxiliar to have (have/has) conjugado no Simple Present (presente simples) + o particípio passado (Past Participle) do verbo principal.

Exemplo:

I have known Victoria for a long time. (Eu conheço a Victoria há muito tempo.)

Já o Simple Past não apresenta verbo auxiliar na sua conjugação. Para conjugar um verbo regular na forma afirmativa do Simple Past, é necessário acrescentar –d, –ed, ou –ied à sua terminação.

Exemplo:

I knew Victoria a long time ago. (Eu conheci a Victoria há muito tempo.)

Os verbos irregulares, por sua vez, sofrem modificações em sua forma e com isso, não seguem nenhum modelo de conjugação.

Veja também:

Simple Past

Para saber mais sobre o Simple Past, teste seus conhecimentos fazendo exercícios com respostas comentadas em Simple Past exercícios.

Vídeo (Video)

Assista o vídeo abaixo e saiba quais são os três principais usos do Present Perfect.

Exercícios (Exercises)

1. Escreva a seguinte frase nas formas negativa e interrogativa:

He has painted two pictures this week.

Ver Resposta

Forma negativa: He has not painted two pictures this week.

Para fazer a forma negativa do Present Perfect, basta utilizar o verbo to have (have/has) + not + Past Participle do verbo principal, logo após o sujeito.

Na fase acima:

• he: sujeito
• has: terceira pessoa do verbo to have; utiliza-se quando o sujeito é he, she ou it.
• painted: Past participle do verbo principal “to paint” (pintar)

Forma interrogativa: Has he painted two pictures this week?

Para fazer a forma negativa do Present Perfect, basta utilizar o verbo to have (have/has) + sujeito+ Past Participle do verbo principal.

Na fase acima:

• has: terceira pessoa do verbo to have; utiliza-se quando o sujeito é he, she ou it.
• he: sujeito
• painted: Past participle do verbo principal “to paint” (pintar)

2. Conjugue o verbo begin (começar) na forma afirmativa do Present Perfect Simple:

Ver Resposta

I have begun
you have begun
he/she/it has begun
we have begun
you have begun
they have begun

3. Qual das frases abaixo não está no Present Perfect Simple?

a) I haven’t played soccer for years.
b) She has broken her leg.
c) This morning he has drunk three coffees.
d) Who has been reading my diary?
e) I have worked all my life.

Ver Resposta

Alternativa correta: d) Who has been reading my diary?

Observe que, apesar de apresentar o verbo to have (has) e uma flexão no particípio passado (been), o verbo principal da frase está conjugando no gerúndio (reading).

Assim sendo, o tempo verbal que corresponde à alternativa d) é o Present Perfect Continuous, e não o Present Perfect Simple.

Para complementar os seus estudos da língua inglesa, veja também:

Carla Muniz

Professora, lexicógrafa, tradutora, produtora de conteúdos e revisora. Licenciada em Letras (Português, Inglês e Literaturas) pelas Faculdades Integradas Simonsen, em 2002.