SPC-ELL: Present Perfect Verbs
Self-Paced Collection of English Language Lessons
Make sure you "allow" blocked content and turn your speakers on to use this SoftChalk lesson. Watch the videos, listen to the recordings, and read the explanations on each page. Put your mouse over the bold words to read and see more. You can visit each page and try each activity as often as you want for practice.
When you want your answers to count, complete all activities and questions in order on each page, click "Check Answers" and then next page to continue.
Important - if you want to submit your scores, click Print Score Summary and/or Email Score on the last page according to your teacher's instructions. If you see a Finish button on the last page, click on it to submit your scores directly to your teacher (not all students will see the "Finish" button).
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
1. Choose correctly between present perfect verbs and simple past tense verbs
2. Form the present perfect tense correctly
Let's begin. Click on the arrow below to listen to the explanation. When you are finished, click next page.
In English, there are several ways to express past tense. Let's look at two possibilities:
1. Simple Past - I cooked spaghetti last night.
2. Present Perfect - I have cooked spaghetti many times before.
Click on the "play" arrow to watch the video and listen to the explanation.
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Simple Past Tense |
Present Perfect Tense |
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* events or activites that began and ended in the past (complete) * events or activities that occurred at a specific time in the past |
* events or activites that began in the past and continue until now * repeated events or activities in the past * events or activites that happened at an unspecified (not specific) time in the past |
Try this Quiz Group to test your understanding of simple past vs. present perfect.
Have + Past Participle
Click on the "play" arrow to watch the video and listen to the explanation.
We form the present perfect by using have + past participle. Remember to conjugate "have" to match the subject!
Try this Quiz Group to test your knowledge. Enter only the two missing words (not the complete sentence). You must spell correctly.
Click on the "play" arrow to watch the video and listen to the explanation.
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Meaning 1 To talk about a complete activity that occurred at an unspecified or unknown time in the past |
Meaning 1 To talk about an action that happened repeatedly in the past |
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* Have you ever eaten at that restaurant? * Ann has already left for work. * I have finished my homework already. |
* We have been to Mexico many times on vacation. * How often have you seen that movie? * I'm sick of pizza. I have eaten it five times already this week. |
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Meaning 2 To talk about an activity that began in the past and continues to the present |
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* I have known Jim since I was a child. (I met him when I was 7, and I still know him.) * Jose has studied English for two years. (Jose began studying English two years ago, and he is still studying it.) * He has been living in America for five years. |
Jose has studied English for two years.
2 years ago.............................................................Now
He began studying English two years ago, and he is still studying English.
Try this Sorting Activity to test your understanding.
Congratulations! You are now an expert on the Present Perfect verb tense!
Important - if you want to submit your scores, click Print Score Summary and/or Email Score on the last page according to your teacher's instructions. If you see a Finish button on the last page, click on it to submit your scores directly to your teacher (not all students will see the "Finish" button).
Azar, B. & Hagen, S., (2009). Understanding and Using English Grammar (4th Edition). White Plains, NY: Pearson Longman.