Present Perfect Tense
The present perfect tense is a verb form made with have or has plus a past participle, used to talk about an action that happened at an unspecified time in the past or that connects the past to the present. In Year 5 grammar, pupils learn to compare it with the simple past, which is used for finished actions at a specific time. For example, 'I have visited Paris' differs from 'I visited Paris last year'.
Method
- Choose the correct helper verb: use has for he, she or it, and have for I, you, we or they.
- Change the main verb into its past participle form, for example eaten, gone or written.
- Join the helper verb and the past participle together, for example have eaten or has gone.
- Use the present perfect when the exact time of the action is not stated or is not important.
- Use the simple past instead if the sentence gives a specific time in the past, such as yesterday or in 2019.
Worked example
Change this simple past sentence into the present perfect tense: 'I visited Rome.'
- Identify the subject: I.
- Choose the correct helper verb for I: have.
- Change the main verb visited into its past participle: visited (regular verbs keep the -ed form).
- Join the helper verb and past participle to write the full sentence.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a English exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Rewrite the sentence below in the present perfect tense: 'The children clean the classroom.'
Explain the difference in meaning between these two sentences, then state which one gives a specific time: 'I have watched that film.' / 'I watched that film on Friday.'
Write two sentences about your school day: one using the present perfect tense to describe something you have already done, and one using the simple past tense with a specific time. Underline the verb phrase in each sentence.
Free printable worksheet
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