The Present Perfect Tense

ESL Helpful Handouts

The Present Perfect Tense

Page 1 of 11

Have you flown a kite?

Yes, I have flown a kite.

Have you flown a kite?

No, I haven’t flown a kite.

Have you flown a kite?

Yes, I have.

Have you flown a kite?

No, I haven’t.

Have you ever flown a kite?

Yes, I have flown a kite many times.

Have you ever flown a kite?

No, I have never flown a kite.

Free handout: http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts Photo Acknowledgments: www.flickr.com (Creative Commons License) - Michael Kappel, mikebaird, Feggy Art, Jinsonocx, Bohari Adventures, globrvisions, jemsweb, gbaku, justgrimes, Tambako the Jaguar, Svadifari, massdistraction, su-lin, almodestuff, franzisco, codiceinternet, Open Sky Media

ESL Helpful Handouts

The Present Perfect Tense

I have climbed a mountain.

She has played chess.

You have caught a butterfly.

We have been to Africa.

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He has ridden a horse.

They have planted a tree.

The Present Perfect Tense is used to talk about things that did or did not happen at some unspecified time in the past. The exact time is not mentioned.

I have climbed a mountain.

We haven’t been to Africa.

You have never caught a butterfly.

You can use the Present Perfect Tense to talk about things that happened more than once at unspecified times in the past.

He has ridden a horse many times.

She has played chess several times.

They have planted a tree a couple of times.

Free handout: http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts Photo Acknowledgments: www.flickr.com (Creative Commons License) - Michael Kappel, mikebaird, Feggy Art, Jinsonocx, Bohari Adventures, globrvisions, jemsweb, gbaku, justgrimes, Tambako the Jaguar, Svadifari, massdistraction, su-lin, almodestuff, franzisco, codiceinternet, Open Sky Media

ESL Helpful Handouts

The Present Perfect Tense

Page 3 of 11

Review of the Past Participle The past participle is a verb form used in the present perfect tense. The past participle of regular verbs is the same as the simple past form.

Base form climb

Simple Past climbed

Past Participle climbed

Some irregular verbs have a different past participle form.

Base Form fly

Simple Form flew

Past Participle flown

Simple Past was/were caught climbed ate fed flew held listened made played planted posted rode slept traveled used won wrecked

Past Participle been caught climbed eaten fed flown held listened made played planted posted ridden slept traveled used won wrecked

A list of verb forms.

Base Form be catch climb eat feed fly hold listen make play plant post ride sleep travel use win wreck

Write the past participle form of each verb. be _______

eat _______

fly ______

use _______

win _______

feed _______

hold _______

make _______

play _______

post _____

ride _______

catch _______

climb _______

plant _______

sleep _______

wreck _______

listen _______

travel _______

Free handout: http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts Photo Acknowledgments: www.flickr.com (Creative Commons License) - Michael Kappel, mikebaird, Feggy Art, Jinsonocx, Bohari Adventures, globrvisions, jemsweb, gbaku, justgrimes, Tambako the Jaguar, Svadifari, massdistraction, su-lin, almodestuff, franzisco, codiceinternet, Open Sky Media

ESL Helpful Handouts

The Present Perfect Tense

Page 4 of 11

Form of the Present Perfect Tense

Subject

have/has

past participle

I

have

climbed

a mountain.

Negative form of the Present Perfect Tense You can use the adverb not to make the sentence negative.

Subject

have/has

not

past participle

She

has

not

played

chess.

You can use the adverb never to make the sentence negative.

Subject

have/has

never

past participle

She

has

never

played

chess.

You can use a contraction of have/has and not to make the sentence negative.

Subject

haven’t/hasn‘t

past participle

She

hasn‘t

played

chess.

Write the answer to these questions as they apply to your own life.

Example:

Have you eaten rhubarb?

Yes, I have eaten rhubarb.

No, I haven’t eaten rhubarb.

Have you ever fed a lion? ____________________

Have you held a baby? _________________

Free handout: http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts Photo Acknowledgments: www.flickr.com (Creative Commons License) - Michael Kappel, mikebaird, Feggy Art, Jinsonocx, Bohari Adventures, globrvisions, jemsweb, gbaku, justgrimes, Tambako the Jaguar, Svadifari, massdistraction, su-lin, almodestuff, franzisco, codiceinternet, Open Sky Media

ESL Helpful Handouts

The Present Perfect Tense

Page 5 of 11

Have you listened to classical music?

Have you ever made apple pie?

Have you posted a comment on a blog?

___________________________

_____________________

___________________________

Questions in the Present Perfect Tense

Have/Has

subject

past participle

Have

you

been

to Africa?

You can use the adverb ever to form a question in the present perfect tense.

Have/Has

subject

ever

past participle

Have/Has

you

ever

been

to Africa?

Write a question for each of these answers.

Example:

Have you slept in a tent?

Have you ever slept in a tent?

Yes, I have slept in a tent.

_________________________ No, I have not traveled to Borneo.

____________________ Yes, I have used the Internet many times.

Free handout: http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts Photo Acknowledgments: www.flickr.com (Creative Commons License) - Michael Kappel, mikebaird, Feggy Art, Jinsonocx, Bohari Adventures, globrvisions, jemsweb, gbaku, justgrimes, Tambako the Jaguar, Svadifari, massdistraction, su-lin, almodestuff, franzisco, codiceinternet, Open Sky Media

ESL Helpful Handouts

The Present Perfect Tense

Page 6 of 11

Short Answers in the Present Perfect Tense Have you ever wrecked your car?

Yes,

subject

have/has.

Yes,

I

have.

Has he won the lottery?

No,

subject

haven‘t/hasn‘t.

No,

he

hasn‘t.

Write a short answer to these questions as they apply to your own life.

Example:

Have you flown a kite?

Yes, I have.

No, I haven't.

Have you ridden a horse?

__________________

Have you ever wrecked your car? ________________________

Have you held a baby?

Have you slept in a tent?

________________ ________________

Have you ever planted a tree? ______________________

Free handout: http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts Photo Acknowledgments: www.flickr.com (Creative Commons License) - Michael Kappel, mikebaird, Feggy Art, Jinsonocx, Bohari Adventures, globrvisions, jemsweb, gbaku, justgrimes, Tambako the Jaguar, Svadifari, massdistraction, su-lin, almodestuff, franzisco, codiceinternet, Open Sky Media

ESL Helpful Handouts

The Present Perfect Tense

Page 7 of 11

Board Game Instructions: This game requires a pair of dice. The board is on page 8.

Each player receives a counter and places it on one of the starting corners. The counters are on this page under these instructions.

Shuffle the cards and place them face down on the board. The cards are on pages 9-11.

Players take turns casting the dice and moving the counters in the direction indicated by the arrows. When a player lands on a smiley face, he/she picks a card and asks the question written on the card to any one of the other players.

The first player to get his/her counter back to his/her starting corner wins the game.

Counters:

Free handout: http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts Photo Acknowledgments: www.flickr.com (Creative Commons License) - Michael Kappel, mikebaird, Feggy Art, Jinsonocx, Bohari Adventures, globrvisions, jemsweb, gbaku, justgrimes, Tambako the Jaguar, Svadifari, massdistraction, su-lin, almodestuff, franzisco, codiceinternet, Open Sky Media

ESL Helpful Handouts

The Present Perfect Tense

Page 8 of 11

Board Game Starting

Starting

Corner

Corner

Place Cards Here

Starting

Starting

Corner

Corner

Free handout: http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts Photo Acknowledgments: www.flickr.com (Creative Commons License) - Michael Kappel, mikebaird, Feggy Art, Jinsonocx, Bohari Adventures, globrvisions, jemsweb, gbaku, justgrimes, Tambako the Jaguar, Svadifari, massdistraction, su-lin, almodestuff, franzisco, codiceinternet, Open Sky Media

ESL Helpful Handouts

The Present Perfect Tense

Page 9 of 11

Board Game Playing Cards

Have you ever flown

Have you ever

a kite?

climbed a mountain?

Have you ever caught a butterfly?

Have you ever ridden a horse?

Have you ever played

Have you ever been

chess?

to Africa?

Free handout: http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts Photo Acknowledgments: www.flickr.com (Creative Commons License) - Michael Kappel, mikebaird, Feggy Art, Jinsonocx, Bohari Adventures, globrvisions, jemsweb, gbaku, justgrimes, Tambako the Jaguar, Svadifari, massdistraction, su-lin, almodestuff, franzisco, codiceinternet, Open Sky Media

ESL Helpful Handouts

The Present Perfect Tense

Page 10 of 11

Board Game Playing Cards

Have you ever eaten Have you ever

rhubarb?

planted a tree?

Have you ever fed a lion?

Have you ever listened to classical music?

Have you ever held a baby?

Have you ever made apple pie?

Free handout: http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts Photo Acknowledgments: www.flickr.com (Creative Commons License) - Michael Kappel, mikebaird, Feggy Art, Jinsonocx, Bohari Adventures, globrvisions, jemsweb, gbaku, justgrimes, Tambako the Jaguar, Svadifari, massdistraction, su-lin, almodestuff, franzisco, codiceinternet, Open Sky Media

ESL Helpful Handouts

The Present Perfect Tense

Page 11 of 11

Board Game Playing Cards

Have you ever

Have you ever slept

posted a comment on

in a tent?

a blog?

Have you ever

Have you ever used

traveled to Borneo?

the Internet?

Have you ever wrecked your car?

Have you ever won the lottery?

Free handout: http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts Photo Acknowledgments: www.flickr.com (Creative Commons License) - Michael Kappel, mikebaird, Feggy Art, Jinsonocx, Bohari Adventures, globrvisions, jemsweb, gbaku, justgrimes, Tambako the Jaguar, Svadifari, massdistraction, su-lin, almodestuff, franzisco, codiceinternet, Open Sky Media