English Grammar Guide


The Present Perfect Tense: Regular Verbs


Usage - The Present Perfect Tense

We use the present perfect tense for life experiences (any time up to now) and events occuring at least once in the past.

  • Life Experiences
  • Events

Grammar - The Present Perfect Tense

For I, You, We and They, we use have and the past participle (V3).

For He, She and It, we use has and the past participle (V3).

For regular verbs we usually add -ed to the infinitive to form the past participle (V3).

  • SUBJECT + HAVE + V3 (PAST PARTICIPLE)
  • Regular Verbs: V3 = INFINITIVE-ed
  • play → played
  • HAVEhave/has
  • I/You /We/They + have + V3
  • I have climbed a mountain before.
  • He/She/It + has + V3
  • She has played chess before.

Examples - The Present Perfect Tense: Regular Verbs

SUBJ.HAVEV3 ......
Ihaveclimbed a treebefore.
Youhaveplayed chessbefore.
Hehascooked lobsterbefore.
Tomhaswatched balletbefore.
Shehasdanced on stagebefore.
Ithassnowed herein the past.
Wehavewalked to schoolbefore.
Theyhavesailed a boatbefore.

Grammar - Infinitives Ending in "-e"

We add -d to infinitives ending in -e.

  • INFINITIVE → INFINITIVE-d
  • bake → baked
  • She has baked a cake before.

Forms - Infinitives Ending in "-e"

INFINITIVEV3
movemoved
loveloved

Grammar - Infinitives Ending in CONSONANT-y

We change -y to -ied for words ending in consonant-y.

  • CONSONANT = b/c/d/f/...
  • INFINITIVE → INFINITIVE (- y) + -ied
  • study → studied
  • They have studied it before.

Grammar - Infinitives Ending in VOWEL-y

  • VOWEL = a/e/i/o/u
  • INFINITIVE → INFINITIVE-ed:
  • play → plaied
  • play → played ✔
  • enjoy → enjoied
  • enjoy → enjoyed ✔

Forms - Infinitives Ending in "-y"

INFINITIVEV3
studystudied
carrycarried
playplayed
staystayed

Examples - The Present Perfect Tense: Regular Verbs

SUBJ.HAVEV3
Ihavedancedon stage before.
Shehasstudiedmusic before.
Hehasplayedchess before.

Be Careful!

We don't use the present perfect for a specific time in the past. We can use before because it is not a specific time.

  • I have played chess in 2010. (PERF.)
  • I played chess in 2010. (PAST SIMP.)
  • I have played chess before. (PERF.)

Be Careful!

  • Regular Verbs: V3 = INFINITIVE-ed ✔

Some verbs are irregular. We do not add -ed. They have different verb forms.

  • Irregular Verbs: V3 = INFINITIVE-ed ✘
  • eat → eated ✘
  • eat → eaten ✔
Symbols & Abbreviations
=Same as
Correct
Incorrect
PAST SIMP.Past Simple
PERF.Present Perfect
SUBJ.Subject
V3Past Participle

Test your knowledge: Start the quiz


Are you ready to improve your English grammar? Download English Grammar Star for Android & iOS and practice daily.


, App Page
Google Play Rating

* 12th November, 2024

A button for downloading  from Google Play

App Store Rating

* 12th November, 2024

A button for downloading  from the App Store

Do you want to learn more about subjects like "The Present Perfect Tense: Regular Verbs"? Get the English Grammar Star app for Android and iOS now!


, App Page

Google Play Rating

* 12th November, 2024

A button for downloading  from Google Play
App Store Rating

* 12th November, 2024

A button for downloading  from the App Store



See Also




Facebook


An unhandled error has occurred. Reload 🗙