Understanding present perfect tense

What is present perfect tense?

The present perfect tense is a verb tense used in the English language to show an action that happened in the past and this past action is still relevant in the present. You use this tense to explain both finished actions that were recently completed and non-finished actions that are ongoing.

Here’s an example of a finished action: “They have eaten dinner already.”

The verb tense of “to eat” informs readers that the subjects ate dinner in the recent past, and this fact is relevant to the present.

Here’s an example of an unfinished action: “Kesha has been a member since 2014.”

The verb tense of “to be” indicates that Kesha became a member in the past and is still a member now.

Difference between simple present tense and present perfect tense

Don’t get confused with present tense and present perfect tense. Present tense is one of the simple tenses, meaning it is grammatically simple and doesn’t add any new information. Present perfect is one of the perfect tenses, meaning it conveys actions that relate to other points in time as well. Present perfect tense also uses auxiliary verbs “have” and “has.”

The best way to illustrate this point is through examples.

• Simple present: “I write in my journal every day.”
• Present perfect: “I have written in my journal every day.”
• Simple present: “Finish your homework.”
• Present perfect: “You haven’t finished your homework.”
• Simple present: “Juanita buys flowers for her mother every Tuesday.”
• Present perfect: “Juanita has bought flowers for her mother every Tuesday since January.”

Both tenses are grammatically correct, but they convey slightly different meanings and tones. When you want to describe an action that is happening only in the present and that’s it, use simple present tense. When you want to describe an action that is happening in the present but relates to a point in the past, use present perfect.

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Breaking down the present perfect tense

The present perfect tense is made up of two main components: the past participle (main verb) and its buddy, the auxiliary verb (“have” or “has”). These two components always work together to convey the present perfect tense. With the exception of irregular verbs, the past participle is the same form as the simple past form of the verb.

Sentence structure is important. Explore how to use the present perfect tense in different writing scenarios.

Statements

When writing a statement in the present perfect tense, you structure the components with the auxiliary verbs first, then the past participle following it.

• Structure: [have/has] + [past participle]
• Example: I [have] [auditioned] for the role.

Negatives

If an action started in the past but is not completed in the present, you often describe it with negatives. When writing a sentence with negatives, you add the negative word such as “not” or “never” after the auxiliary verb.

• Structure: [have/has] + [negative] + [past participle]
• Example: I [have] [never] [auditioned] for a role.

Questions

Questions use a similar technique. When writing a question in the present perfect tense, you structure with the auxiliary very first, then the subject, then the past participle.

• Structure: [have/has] + [subject] + [past participle].
• Example: [Have] [you] [auditioned] for the role?

Adverbs

How do adverbs affect past participle sentences? With a few exceptions, you generally place adverbs between the auxiliary verb and the past participle.

• Structure: [have/has] + [adverb] + [past participle].
• Example: I [have] [just] [auditioned] for the role.

Passive voice

While you should use active voice instead of passive as much as possible, sometimes you can’t avoid passive voice. How do you use present perfect tense with passive voice? You approach it the same way you would any other present perfect tense but with the verb “to be.”

• Structure: [have/has] + [been] + [past participle].
• Example: I [have] [been] [auditioning] for the role.

Why should you use present perfect tense?

The English language gifts us writers with different ways to communicate, and the present perfect tense is one of those many gifts.

Certain scenarios call for the present perfect tense. You may choose to write in this tense to convey an ongoing action that started in the past but has not been completed, a series of the same action over time, an action completed very recently, or to add significance to a completed action.

Like much of writing, you’ve been using these techniques as long as you could speak, but now you’re aware of how it works. Apply your newfound knowledge to your work and improve as a writer.