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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Guia visual

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 Gramática A2 Vocabulário A2 Neutral

I've lost my keys.

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

Blocos de sentido

Lê a frase por blocos de sentido, não palavra a palavra.

I've lost my keys

result-now clause

A past event is important because the result matters now.

Aprende como uma unidade

Core Gramática A2 Vocabulário A2 Neutral

She has visited Japan.

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

Blocos de sentido

Lê a frase por blocos de sentido, não palavra a palavra.

She has visited Japan

life-experience frame

This says the visit is part of her life experience up to now.

Aprende como uma unidade

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 Gramática A2 Vocabulário A1 Neutral

We've lived here since 2020.

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

Blocos de sentido

Lê a frase por blocos de sentido, não palavra a palavra.

We've lived here

continuing situation

The situation started before now and continues now.

Aprende como uma unidade

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 Gramática A2 Vocabulário A2 Neutral

They've already left.

Already helps show that the result is true now.

Blocos de sentido

Lê a frase por blocos de sentido, não palavra a palavra.

They've already left

positive present perfect

Have/has plus a past participle shows a completed action with present relevance.

Aprende como uma unidade

Negative Gramática A2 Vocabulário A1 Neutral

I haven't seen that film.

The time window is life experience up to now.

Blocos de sentido

Lê a frase por blocos de sentido, não palavra a palavra.

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.

Aprende como uma unidade

Question Gramática A2 Vocabulário A2 Neutral

Have you finished the report?

The speaker asks whether the report is complete now.

Blocos de sentido

Lê a frase por blocos de sentido, não palavra a palavra.

Have you finished

question frame

Have/has before the subject forms a present-perfect question.

Aprende como uma unidade

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 Gramática A2 Vocabulário A2 Neutral

Have you ever broken your arm?

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

Blocos de sentido

Lê a frase por blocos de sentido, não palavra a palavra.

Have you ever

experience question frame

A reusable way to ask about experience at any time before now.

Aprende como uma unidade

broken your arm

past-participle event

The event being asked about.

Negative Gramática A2 Vocabulário A2 Neutral

We haven't decided yet.

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

Blocos de sentido

Lê a frase por blocos de sentido, não palavra a palavra.

haven't decided yet

negative result up to now

No decision exists up to now, and one is still possible or expected.

Aprende como uma unidade

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 Gramática A2 Vocabulário A1 Neutral

I've never eaten sushi.

Never means not at any time before now.

Blocos de sentido

Lê a frase por blocos de sentido, não palavra a palavra.

I've never eaten sushi

negative life experience

A reusable frame for saying an experience has not happened up to now.

Aprende como uma unidade

Core Gramática A2 Vocabulário A1 Neutral

I've just sent the email.

Just highlights a recent completed action with a present result.

Blocos de sentido

Lê a frase por blocos de sentido, não palavra a palavra.

I've just sent

Blocos de sentido

Lê a frase por blocos de sentido, não palavra a palavra.

Your English has improved

change up to now

A change happened over time and is visible now.

Aprende como uma unidade

Core Gramática A2 Vocabulário A1 Neutral

She has worked here for three years.

This means she still works here.

Blocos de sentido

Lê a frase por blocos de sentido, não palavra a palavra.

She has worked here

continuing work situation

The work started before now and continues now.

Aprende como uma unidade

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 Gramática A2 Vocabulário A1 Neutral

I have seen Maria yesterday.

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

Corrected Gramática A2 Vocabulário A1 Neutral

I saw Maria yesterday.

Use the past simple with a finished past time.

Blocos de sentido

Lê a frase por blocos de sentido, não palavra a palavra.

yesterday

finished-time marker

This word places the event in a finished past time, so the past simple is needed.

Aprende como uma unidade

Contrast Gramática A2 Vocabulário A1 Neutral

I've seen Maria this week.

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

Blocos de sentido

Lê a frase por blocos de sentido, não palavra a palavra.

I've seen Maria this week

open time frame

The week is still treated as open and connected to now.

Aprende como uma unidade

Contrast Gramática A2 Vocabulário A1 Neutral

She worked here for three years.

This usually means she does not work here now.

Blocos de sentido

Lê a frase por blocos de sentido, não palavra a palavra.

worked here for three years

finished past duration

Past simple with this duration usually describes a completed job period.

Aprende como uma unidade

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 Gramática B1 Vocabulário A1 Neutral

She has been to Paris.

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

Blocos de sentido

Lê a frase por blocos de sentido, não palavra a palavra.

has been to Paris

returned experience

Been to a place means visited and returned.

Aprende como uma unidade

Contrast Gramática B1 Vocabulário A1 Neutral

She has gone to Paris.

She is in Paris now or on the way there.

Blocos de sentido

Lê a frase por blocos de sentido, não palavra a palavra.

has gone to Paris

away-now result

Gone to a place means went there and is away now.

Aprende como uma unidade

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 Gramática A2 Vocabulário A1 Neutral

I have lived here since five years.

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

Corrected Gramática A2 Vocabulário A1 Neutral

I have lived here for five years.

Use for with a length of time.

Blocos de sentido

Lê a frase por blocos de sentido, não palavra a palavra.

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.

Aprende como uma unidade

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.

Aprendizagem

Ferramentas

Explorar

Empresa & Apoio

Present perfect

Present perfect: the bridge to now

What the present perfect does

Blocos de sentido

Blocos de sentido

A bridge to now

Blocos de sentido

Form the tense

Blocos de sentido

Blocos de sentido

Blocos de sentido

How the pieces work

Blocos de sentido

Blocos de sentido

Main uses

Blocos de sentido

Blocos de sentido

Blocos de sentido

Blocos de sentido

Present perfect or past simple?

Blocos de sentido

Blocos de sentido

Blocos de sentido

Contractions, been, and gone

Blocos de sentido

Blocos de sentido

Common danger zones

Blocos de sentido

The quick decision rule

Aprendizagem

Ferramentas

Recursos

Empresa

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