Present Perfect Simple

✈️

In this lesson, we’ll discuss the Present Perfect Simple. We’ll learn how to construct it, when to use it, and practise using it.

Buy me a cup of coffee! ☕ If you found my materials useful and you’d like to support me, buy me a cup of coffee here: ko-fi.com/sipofenglish

Warm-up

Below is a list of verbs with their base form and simple past form provided. Your task is to fill in the missing past participle for each verb. Let’s see if you can remember them all 🙂

eat - ate - ______ make - made - ______

go - went - ______ read - read - ______

write - wrote - ______ ride - rode - ______

speak - spoke - ______ sing - sang - ______

take - took - ______ swim - swam - ______

give - gave - ______ begin - began - ______

see - saw - ______ drink - drank - ______

come - came - ______ drive - drove - ______

find - found - ______ fly - flew - ______

do - did - ______ forget - forgot - ______

Answer key

Theory part 1

First, let’s learn how to construct sentences in the Present Perfect Simple. Download this explanation in PDF here: link

Exercise 1

Create the missing positive sentences, negative sentences or questions.

➕ She has always wanted a dog. ➖ … ❓ …

➕ … ➖ Jim hasn’t travelled around the world. ❓ …

➕ ➖ … ❓ Have we watched this film?

➕ … ➖ … ❓ Has Janice been here before?

➕ We’ve worked here for 5 years. ➖ … ❓ …

➕ … ➖ They haven’t been to Japan. ❓ …

Check your answers

Theory part 2

We know how to construct the Present Perfect Simple sentences. Let’s learn when we should use them! There are 4 rules you should remember! 🧠

Exercise 2

Watch the following clips and match the sentences to the rules: 1. Events in the past, at an unspecified time (we don’t know when they happened) 2. Recent events, at an unspecified time (we don’t know when they happened) 3. States that started in the past and last up to the present. 4. Events with obvious result in the present.

A. "Just one question, dear. You've been in this post how long, exactly?" "Sixteen years I've lived and taught here. Hogwarts is my home.”

Check the answer

C. "You look well" "Yes, I'm fine. I know I haven't written as much lately. I've been busy."

Check the answer

B. "They can only be seen by people who've seen death." "So you've known someone who's died, then?" "My mum”

Check the answer

D. "Why is Marcie doing this?" "The loneliness, the constant exile. She has gone mad." "You think?”

Check the answer

Download this explanation in PDF here: link

Exercise 3

Fill in the gaps using the Present Perfect Simple and watch the clips to check your answers. Identify the Present Perfect Simple rule used in each clip.

A. “Watch out for the dragon.” ”Dragon? Nonsense, there … (not/be) a dragon in these parts for a thousand years.”

B. "You … (read) all the Slayer lore there is, right?" "I … (study) all the extant volumes, of course. But the most salient books of Slayer prophecy have been lost...”

C. “That is the stupidest thing I … ever … (hear)”

D. "As I … (write) you, Frank Burns and Hot Lips … (be) an item over here ever since they both laid their beady little eyes on each other.”

E. “You’re the worst pirate I … (hear) of.” “But you … (hear) of me.”

F. "You look different. Why do you look different? Give me a cuddle" "We … already … (have) a perfectly lovely cuddle. Now it's my night off. The labourer … (earn) her rest. Goodnight.”

Exercise 4

Fill in the gaps in the rules below and then answer the questions:

Rule 1: Events in the past at an un… time.

Exercise 5

Answer those questions. Use your imagination to come up with some situations. You can use the hints I put in the parenthesis.

Exercise 6

Imagine you've planned your dream holiday. Describe what you've arranged and what you haven't yet sorted out. Mention the following:

Example: I've chosen France as my dream holiday destination because I've always been captivated by its culture and landscapes. However, I haven't decided yet whether to start in Paris or Provence.

Exercise 7

Let’s play a game “never have I ever…” with some celebrities! 1. Ellen will say a sentence, e.g. “Never ever have I been to China”. It means “I’ve never been to China”. The word order is changed only for a rhetorical effect. 2. You have to answer “I have” or “I have never/I haven’t”