PRESENT PERFECT

We make the present perfect with the auxiliary verb have/ has and the past participle of the main verb. The form of have (have / has) depends on the subject.

I have eaten at this restaurant many times. / She has been to Spain.

We haven’t started yet. / He hasn’t read that book.

Where have you been? / What has she made in art class this week?

Have you tried this before? / Has he worked here for long?

We use the present perfect to:

Talk about something that started in the past and continues into the present.

We have lived in this apartment since April. (They moved into the apartment in April and are still living there now.)

Talk about an action that has been completed multiple times in the past.

Peter loves that movie. He has seen it 16 times since last year.

Talk about what has or hasn’t happened up to the present. Add never to make a negative statement, and use ever when forming yes/no questions.

John and Sarah have never been to Egypt.

Have they ever been to Korea?

Talk about something that happened in the past and is important or relevant to the present moment.

Jane has seen that movie. Let’s watch a different one. (It’s important that Jane has seen the movie because the group is deciding what movie to watch.)


Present perfect questions

  1. Where are some places you’ve been on vacation?
  2. What are some strange types of food you’ve eaten?
  3. How many times have you been to a theme park? Which ones have you been to?
  4. What different countries have you traveled to?
  5. What are some good restaurants you’ve eaten at?
  6. What’s something you’ve done that you’re very proud of?
  7. What interesting hobbies have you tried?
  8. What are some wild things (e.g. bungee jumping) you’ve tried?
  9. What’s something you’ve started but haven’t finished yet?
  10. Have you tried Thai or Turkish food? What other international cuisine have you tried?
  11. Have you broken any bones? Which ones have you broken? What happened?
  12. Where are some interesting places you’ve been in your country?
  13. What animals have you ridden?
  14. Have you ever been camping? Where have you camped?
  15. Have you ever gone fishing? What types of fish have you caught?
  16. Who have you met that is famous or slightly famous?