Mastering the Present Perfect Tense

English tenses can be confusing, especially when they don’t exist in your first language. One of the most tricky ones is the Present Perfect. This post will help you understand it clearly and use it more confidently in conversation.

💡 What is the Present Perfect Tense?

The Present Perfect connects something that happened in the past with now.
We make it using:

Subject + have/has + past participle

Examples:

• I have visited Kyoto.

• She has finished her homework.

🤔 Why is it difficult?

In many languages, people use the past tense for everything that already happened — even if it still matters now.
But in English, we sometimes use Present Perfect instead of past tense to show that the action is connected to the present. That’s why it can feel strange at first — it’s a new way of thinking about time!

1. Life experiences (no time mentioned)

We use Present Perfect when we talk about something we’ve done, but we don’t say when it happened.

✅ I have eaten sushi.
✅ He has met a famous person.

🧠 Tip: If you want to say when (like “yesterday”), don’t use Present Perfect. Use past tense!

2. Change over time

Use it when something is different now compared to before.

✅ My English has improved.
✅ She has grown a lot this year.

3. Many times before now

Use it when you have done something more than once in your life.

✅ We have visited that museum many times.
✅ I have seen that movie three times.

4. A situation that started in the past and is still true now

Use Present Perfect to talk about something that began in the past and continues until now.

✅ I have lived in Canada for 3 years.
✅ She has been studying English since 2005.

🧠 Tip: Use “for” + a length of time, and “since” + the starting point.

🎯 Quick Practice: Which is correct?

1. I ____ (have / has) studied today.

2. She has ____ (eat / eaten) ramen before.

3. We have ____ (go / gone) to Kyoto twice.

📝 Challenge for You:

Write 2 sentences using the Present Perfect:

• One about something you’ve done in your life

• One about something you’ve done this week

Want to test your Present Perfect skills and learn more about it?

We created printable worksheets with Japanese translations so you can understand better and practice more!

🔜 Coming soon — grammar bundles & worksheets will be available here!
Follow us on Instagram@kohaku_english_online for updates 💛

Disclaimer:

English has many exceptions, and sometimes native speakers break the rules too! The explanations here are meant to give you a strong foundation, but don’t worry if you come across something different in real life. With practice and exposure, it will all start to feel more natural!