Tweet

For many English learners, the present perfect is one of the most challenging verb tenses to use because it does not exist in many languages. Here are some resources I have collected that may help English learners to better understand the present perfect.

The main thing to remember about the present perfect is that it connects the past to the present.

When I teach the present perfect, I find that students understand it better if I explain it in categories:

1. Life Experiences

• Have you ever been to…?
• Have you ever (done something)?

2. How long have you…?

• How long you have done an activity that started in the past and continues in the present

3. Giving News

4. The Recent Past

• When the past is not the past yet

For the websites below, I have noted where the website uses British English (BrE). For the most part, the present perfect is used the same in American and British English. The only difference is that when talking about the recent past, Americans will sometimes used the simple past, while the British will always use the present perfect. The only reason I point out that the website is BrE is because some of the vocabulary may be different than American English.

How to form the present perfect:

http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/present-perfect.html (BrE)
http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verb-tenses_present-perfect_s.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfectforms.html
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/prperf.htm

JenniferESL  – Lesson 6a – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IMTNomhg-E

List of irregular verbs:
http://www.myenglishteacher.net/irregularverbsprintable.html
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/irregular-verbs (BrE)

Pronunciation of past participle:
Regular verbs: http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/how-to-pronounce-ed.html (BrE)
Irregular verbs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u00f2oZJ_eA (BrE)

Review of Uses:
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/present-perfect-use.html (BrE)
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfect.html
http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verb-tenses_present-perfect_u.htm
http://esl.about.com/od/beginningenglish/ig/Basic-English/Present-Perfect.htm (BrE)
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/upperf.htm

JenniferESL on YouTube:
Lesson 6b – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doh7BbpC5V4
Lesson 6c – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eA1wmKfEAQ
Lesson 6d – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asq05S5Ijbw
*adverbs, prepositions, present perfect continuous
Lesson 6e – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVh67rScKjA
*present perfect continuous/progressive

Since and For:
http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verb-tenses_present-perfect_fs.htm

Quizzes:

Positive form:
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/prperf1.htm
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/prperf2.htm
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/present-perfect-exercise-1.html (BrE)

Negative form:
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/present-perfect-simple/exercises?06 (BrE)
(*sentences with ‘never’ – put a period at the end of your sentence.)
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/present-perfect-exercise-2.html (BrE)
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/present-perfect-simple/exercises?05
(BrE – put a period at the end of your sentence.)

Question form:
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/upperf3.htm (Have you ever?)
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/present-perfect-simple/exercises?07 (BrE)
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/present-perfect-exercise-3.html (BrE)
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/present-perfect-simple/exercises?08 (BrE – you have to decide which question word to use)

All forms:
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/present-perfect-exercise-4.html (BrE)
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/present-perfect-exercise-5.html (BrE)
http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verb-tenses_present-perfect_quiz.htm
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/present-perfect-simple/exercises (BrE)
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/present-perfect-simple/exercises?04 (BrE – put a period at the end of your sentence)

Since and For:
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/upperf1.htm

Simple past vs. present perfect quizzes:
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs5.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs6.htm
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/upperf2.htm
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/past-simple-present-perfect-1.html (BrE)
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/past-simple-present-perfect-2.html
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/past-simple-present-perfect-3.html

Tests:
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/tests/present-perfect-simple-1 (BrE)
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/tests/present-perfect-simple-2
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/tests/present-perfect-simple-3
*Remember to put a period (.) at the end of your sentences.