How do we make the Present Perfect Tense?The structure of the present perfect tense is: | subject | + | auxiliary verb | + | main verb | | | | have | | past participle |
Here are some examples of the present perfect tense: | | subject | auxiliary verb | | main verb | | | + | I | have | | seen | ET. | | + | You | have | | eaten | mine. | | - | She | has | not | been | to Rome. | | - | We | have | not | played | football. | | ? | Have | you | | finished? | | | ? | Have | they | | done | it? |
Contractions with the present perfect tenseWhen we use the present perfect tense in speaking, we usually contract the subject and auxiliary verb. We also sometimes do this when we write. | I have | I've | | You have | You've | He has She has It has John has The car has | He's She's It's John's The car's | | We have | We've | | They have | They've |
Here are some examples: - I've finished my work.
- John's seen ET.
- They've gone home.
He's or he's??? Be careful! The 's contraction is used for the auxiliary verbs have and be. For example, "It's eaten" can mean: - It has eaten. [present perfect tense, active voice]
- It is eaten. [present tense, passive voice]
It is usually clear from the context. Present Perfect Use » |