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Grammatik
Verbs and tense A2 B1

Present perfect

Connect the past to now for experience, results, changes, and unfinished time with have + past participle.

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Visuelle Übersicht

Present perfect: the bridge to now

Present perfect = a bridge to now

PAST                         NOW
│                            ●
│       still connected      ▲
└────────── bridge ──────────┘
     have/has + past participle
     helper     completed-action form

I've lost my keys.
past losing ───────────────► now: no keys

No bridge with a finished time stamp:
yesterday ●───────────────► now
I saw Maria yesterday.
not: I have seen Maria yesterday.

Use have/has + past participle when a past event is still connected to now; use past simple for a finished time like yesterday.

Introduction

What the present perfect does

The present perfect connects a past action or situation to the present. It is built with have or has + past participle. Use it when the exact past time is not the main point, but the present effect, experience, change, or unfinished time is. In I've lost my keys, the past action matters because the keys are missing now. In She has visited Japan, the visit is part of her life experience up to now. If your sentence mainly answers when in a finished past time, use the past simple.
Core Grammatik A2 Wortschatz A2 Neutral

I've lost my keys.

The losing happened before now; the present result is that the keys are missing.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

I've lost my keys
result-now clause
A past event is important because the result matters now.
Als Einheit lernen
Core Grammatik A2 Wortschatz A2 Neutral

She has visited Japan.

The exact time is not important; the experience is connected to now.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

She has visited Japan
life-experience frame
This says the visit is part of her life experience up to now.
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Cognitive metaphor

A bridge to now

Think of the present perfect as a bridge from before to now. One end is in the past; the other end touches the present. This is why it works naturally for situations that started earlier and still matter, as in We've lived here since 2020. The bridge also explains why finished-time labels do not normally fit. Words like yesterday, last night, and in 2019 place the event on a completed part of the timeline. When you attach one of those labels, the bridge to now usually disappears.
Core Grammatik A2 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

We've lived here since 2020.

This is unfinished time: the living began in 2020 and still continues.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

We've lived here
continuing situation
The situation started before now and continues now.
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since 2020
starting point
Since gives the starting point of the continuing time.
Core pattern

Form the tense

Basic pattern: subject + have/has + past participle. Use have with I, you, we, and they; use has with he, she, and it. Positive sentences often use contractions, as in They've already left. Negative sentences use have/has + not, as in I haven't seen that film. Questions put have/has before the subject, as in Have you finished the report? Regular participles often end in -ed, but many common participles are irregular: been, gone, seen, done, written, eaten, broken.
Core Grammatik A2 Wortschatz A2 Neutral

They've already left.

Already helps show that the result is true now.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

They've already left
positive present perfect
Have/has plus a past participle shows a completed action with present relevance.
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Negative Grammatik A2 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

I haven't seen that film.

The time window is life experience up to now.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

I haven't seen that film
negative present perfect
Have/has not plus a past participle says the experience has not happened up to now.
Als Einheit lernen
Question Grammatik A2 Wortschatz A2 Neutral

Have you finished the report?

The speaker asks whether the report is complete now.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

Have you finished
question frame
Have/has before the subject forms a present-perfect question.
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the report
object
The thing completed or not completed.
Sentence xray

How the pieces work

Sentence X-ray: Have you ever broken your arm? Chunks: core Have you ever asks about life experience before now; broken your arm names the event with a past participle. Another X-ray: We haven't decided yet. Chunk: core haven't decided yet means no decision exists up to now, and one is still possible or expected. In both sentences, the tense points from earlier time to the situation now, not to a finished date.
Question Grammatik A2 Wortschatz A2 Neutral

Have you ever broken your arm?

Ever asks about any time before now, not a specific date.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

Have you ever
experience question frame
A reusable way to ask about experience at any time before now.
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broken your arm
past-participle event
The event being asked about.
Negative Grammatik A2 Wortschatz A2 Neutral

We haven't decided yet.

Yet is common in negative present-perfect sentences about expected results.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

haven't decided yet
negative result up to now
No decision exists up to now, and one is still possible or expected.
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Usage rules

Main uses

Use the present perfect for four everyday jobs. Experience: I've never eaten sushi. The exact time is not important. Recent result: I've just sent the email. The sending matters now. Change up to now: Your English has improved. Something is different from before. Unfinished time: She has worked here for three years. The time period reaches the present, so she still works here. Time expressions that often belong here include ever, never, before, just, already, yet, for, and since.
Negative Grammatik A2 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

I've never eaten sushi.

Never means not at any time before now.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

I've never eaten sushi
negative life experience
A reusable frame for saying an experience has not happened up to now.
Als Einheit lernen
Core Grammatik A2 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

I've just sent the email.

Just highlights a recent completed action with a present result.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

I've just sent
recent result frame
A reusable way to show that an action happened very recently and matters now.
Als Einheit lernen
the email
object
The thing that was sent.
Core Grammatik A2 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

Your English has improved.

The present perfect is natural for changes from before to now.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

Your English has improved
change up to now
A change happened over time and is visible now.
Als Einheit lernen
Core Grammatik A2 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

She has worked here for three years.

This means she still works here.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

She has worked here
continuing work situation
The work started before now and continues now.
Als Einheit lernen
for three years
duration
For gives the length of the continuing time.
Contrast

Present perfect or past simple?

The closest confusion is with the past simple. Use the past simple when you name a finished past time. Mistake: I have seen Maria yesterday. Corrected: I saw Maria yesterday. In the corrected sentence, core yesterday is a finished-time marker, so have seen does not fit. Use the present perfect when the time frame is still open: I've seen Maria this week. Compare jobs too: the present-perfect form with for says the job continues; She worked here for three years usually says the job is over.
Mistake Grammatik A2 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

I have seen Maria yesterday.

A finished past-time marker like yesterday does not normally combine with the present perfect.

Corrected Grammatik A2 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

I saw Maria yesterday.

Use the past simple with a finished past time.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

yesterday
finished-time marker
This word places the event in a finished past time, so the past simple is needed.
Als Einheit lernen
Contrast Grammatik A2 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

I've seen Maria this week.

This week can be unfinished, so the present perfect is natural.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

I've seen Maria this week
open time frame
The week is still treated as open and connected to now.
Als Einheit lernen
Contrast Grammatik A2 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

She worked here for three years.

This usually means she does not work here now.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

worked here for three years
finished past duration
Past simple with this duration usually describes a completed job period.
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Form variations

Contractions, been, and gone

Contractions are common in speech and neutral writing: I've, you've, we've, they've, he's, she's, and it's can all be present perfect when they mean have or has. Be careful with he's, she's, and it's because they can also mean is. Context tells you: after a past participle, they mean has. Been and gone are useful but different. She has been to Paris means she visited and came back. She has gone to Paris means she went there and is not here now.
Contrast Grammatik B1 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

She has been to Paris.

She visited Paris at some time before now and is not necessarily there now.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

has been to Paris
returned experience
Been to a place means visited and returned.
Als Einheit lernen
Contrast Grammatik B1 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

She has gone to Paris.

She is in Paris now or on the way there.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

has gone to Paris
away-now result
Gone to a place means went there and is away now.
Als Einheit lernen
Danger zone

Common danger zones

Two danger zones cause many errors. First, do not combine the present perfect with a completed past-time marker such as last year or two minutes ago. Use it with still-open times such as today or this week instead. Second, choose for or since by meaning, not by habit. For measures duration; since points to the start. Mistake: I have lived here since five years. Corrected: I have lived here for five years. X-ray of the corrected sentence: I have lived here gives the continuing situation; core for five years gives the length up to now.
Mistake Grammatik A2 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

I have lived here since five years.

Since needs a starting point, not a length of time.

Corrected Grammatik A2 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

I have lived here for five years.

Use for with a length of time.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

I have lived here
continuing situation
The living started before now and continues now.
for five years
duration phrase
For gives a length of time that reaches now.
Als Einheit lernen
Summary

The quick decision rule

Present perfect logic: something before now is connected to now. Build it with have/has + past participle. Choose it for experience, visible results, changes, and time periods that are not finished. Choose the past simple when a finished past time is named or when the story is only about a completed past event. Useful thinking question: Is my time window still open, or does the result matter now? If yes, the present perfect is probably a good choice.
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