Present Perfect Tense Explanation with examples

Present Perfect Tense

When we discuss about an action which occurred at an earlier point in time, and it’s not specified precisely when it happened (perhaps we don’t know, or it is not important to say when it happened), we use the present perfect. Here’s an example:

• A German racing car has recently broken the world speed record.
• We have spoken about this matter before and we’re hoping it will get resolved soon.

Explanation in Hindi:

पहचान: इन वाक्यों के अंत में  आ है /ई है /ऐ है /चुका है /चुकी है /चुके हैं आता है।
जैसे: Sub ने ऐसा… किया है /कर लिया है /कर दिया है / Sub ऐसा कर चुका  है
राम जा चुका है।
वे खेलने जा चुके हैं।
सीता पढने जा चुकी है।
राम ने खाना खा लिया है।
सीता ने पेड़ों मैं पानी डाल  दिया  है।

Present Perfect Tense Rules

If Sub=Singular(एकवचन) Then:
1. Sub+has+Verb 3rd form
2. Sub+hasn’t+Verb 3rd form
3. How+has+Sub+Verb 3rd form
4. Why+hasn’t+Sub+Verb 3rd form

If Sub= I, You, or Plural(बहुवचन) Then:
1. Sub+have+Verb 3rd form
2. Sub+haven’t+Verb 3rd form
3. How+have+Sub+Verb 3rd form
4. Why+haven’t+Sub+Verb 3rd form

Whenever the present perfect tense is used, it shows us different types of associations regarding what has occurred in the past versus the present time. Here’s an example:

• You’ve prepared the water so you can give your kid a bath.
• I can’t move forward with the meeting, because just a handful of my colleagues have shown up as of now.

Often times this tense is used in order to convey the fact that a certain chain of events was repeated several times. Here’s an example:

• They’ve been to Chile three times.

This tense is also used every time we want to communicate that an action took place in a specific period until the present time. Here’s an example:

• Technology has clearly made a number of major breakthroughs in the last 30 years, and
• Scientists made lots of crucial discoveries in the 19th century.
• He puts to good use things that other people have thrown away, and
• I threw away most of my old books when I moved house.

The present perfect tense can be used if we want to speak about a state that existed earlier in time and still exists now. Here’s an example:

• I have known him most of my working life. (I am still working) and
• I knew him when we were both working in Rome.
• We have belonged to the tennis club since we moved here. (We still belong to it.) and
• We belonged to the tennis club in the village we used to live in.

In news reports, you will often read or hear events introduced using this tense, and then the past simple is used to give the details.

In conclusion, here’s a list of situations when the present perfect is used.

1. A certain point in the past that is not clearly specified:

We’ve been to Greece four times.
(We went to Greece at some unspecified period of time in the past).

If you need to use the simple past you would have to write:

We went to Greece four times in 2014.
(clearly specified point in time in the past, the year 2014)

2. An event which happened at some point in the past, and has an outcome in the present, now:

I can’t locate my suitcase. Has anyone seen it?
(The suitcase was lost in the past, does anyone know where it is now?)

3. When referring to general events (ever, never) happening at different moments in ones life.

Have they ever bought Spanish food before? (in their life)
We’ve never actually listen to this genre of music before. (in our life)

4. Actions which happened a short while ago (just)

Do you want to drink a cup of coffee with me?
No, thanks. I’ve just drunk green tee. (I recently drank green tee.)

5. Events which have happened up to now (yet)

Are Mary and Isabella in the house? No, they haven’t gotten here yet.

6. Events which developed sooner than they were expected (already)

They’ve already arrived from their holiday. (We expected them at a much later date.)

Present Perfect Tense Examples

Affirmative:

• I have bought the book.
• We have given him money.
• She has reached England.
• India has won the match.
• The children have done the work.

Negative:

• They have not watched the movie.
• He has not sung a song.
• Her sister has not become a doctor.
• The painter has not painted the wall.
• I have not reached there.

Interrogative:

• Have you explained him everything?
• Has the lyricist written a song?
• Have the laborers not done the work?
• What have you seen there?
• Why has the boss not given her salary?

Present Perfect Tense Exercises

Try to make the correct tense from the below examples. Below you will find their answers as well.

Questions:
1. I / go / to the library today
2. You / keep a pet for three years
3. You / come here before?
4. It / rain all day?
5. Who / we / forgot to invite?
6. We / not / hear that song already
7. He / not / forget his books
8. she / steal all the chocolate
9. I / explain it well?
10. who / he / meet recently?

Answers:
1. I’ve gone to the library today
2. You’ve kept a pet for three years
3. Have you come here before?
4. Has it rained all day?
5. Who have we forgotten to invite?
6. We haven’t heard that song already
7. He hasn’t forgotten his books
8. She’s stolen all the chocolate
9. Have I explained it well?
10. Who has he met recently?

Hopefully this guide will allow you to use the present perfect tense the correct way in all given situations, and have you speaking English like a pro.

Example In Hindi And English :

1. Affirmative Sentence Example :

• मैं खाना खा चुका हूँ।
  I have eaten food.
• वे खाना पका चुके हैं।
  They have cooked food.
• हम मैच जीत चुके हैं।
  We have won the match.
• तुम काम खत्म कर चुके हो।
  You have finished your work.
• मैंने सिनेमा देख ली है।
  I have seen the Cinema.
• गीता ने सवाल हल कर लिए हैं।
  Geeta has solved the sums.
• मैंने ताजमहल देख लिया है।
  I have seen tha Taj Mahal.
• कृपया मुझे अपना पेन दे दो। मैं अपना घर पर भूल गया हूँ।
  Please give me your pen. I have forgotton mine at home.
• मैंने अपना पाठ याद कर लिया है।
  I have learnt my lesson.

2. Negative Sentence Example :

• मैंने यह तस्वीर नहीं देखी।
  I have not seen this picture.
• मैंने घोड़े को भोजन नहीं खिलाया है।
  We have not fed the hourses.
• हमने 6 बजे से चाय नहीं पी है।
  We have not taken tea since 6 o’clock.
• मैंने हेलीकोप्टर नहीं उड़ाया है।
  I have not flown an helicopter.
• उसने कभी भांग नहीं पी है।
  They have never drunk hemp.
• उसने अभी तक प्रश्न पत्र नहीं दिया है।
  He has not question paper so far.
• मैच अभी शुरू नहीं हुआ है।
  The match has not started yet.
• वह अभी तक नहीं आया है।
  He has not come yet.

3. Interrogative Sentence Example :

• क्या तुमने कभी शरारत नहीं की?
  Have You never made a mischief?
• क्या मैं गृह कार्य कर चुकी हूँ?
  Have I done my home work?
• क्या हम ड्राविंग सिखा चुके हैं?
  Have we taught driwing?
• क्या वह सांप के काटने से नहीं मरा?
  Has he not died of a snake-bite.
• क्या वह परीक्षा में पास नहीं हो गया है?
  Has he not passed in the examination?
• क्या रमेश ने स्कूल में प्रवेश प्राप्त कर लिया है?
  Has Ramesh got admission to school?
• क्या मैं सो नहीं चूका हूँ?
  Have I not slept.
• क्या वह बाजार से आ चुकी है?
  Has she come back from market.

Exercise for practice :

1. हम यह तस्वीर देख चुके हैं।
2. उसने बैंक से पैसे निकाल लिए हैं।
3. विक्रेता अभी नहीं आया है।
4. निमंत्रण पत्र बाँट दिए गए हैं।
5. उन्होंने अपना मकान नहीं बनाया है।
6. क्या चोर पकड़ा गया है?
7. क्या उसने काफी उन्नति नहीं कर ली है?
8. उसने शरारत नहीं की है?
9. उसका पिता मर चुका है।
10. वे शहर से वापस नहीं आए हैं।