February 17, 2025

Course on the Present Perfect Simple - TOEIC® Preparation

A teacher from top-students.com explaining present perfect simple in English on a blackboard with chalk. This course is a specialized TOEIC® course designed for excellence in the TOEIC® exam.

The goal of this course on the present perfect simple for the TOEIC® is to teach you everything you need to know about this tense! Everything is here!

The present perfect is a unique tense. It doesn't really have an equivalent in other languages, as it's a concept specific to English. Therefore, avoid translating it word for word, especially in the TOEIC®!

In fact, it is used to talk about something (a situation or a state) that started in the past and continues in the present.

It can be an action that started yesterday and is still ongoing, or a general fact that has been true for years and continues today.

For example, the highway code: it has been in effect for years and remains valid today — it's a perfect case for using the present perfect!

"How long have you lived there? I have lived here for 10 years"
- The "have lived here" means that the person has lived in the house for 10 years and still lives there today.

This course is only about the present perfect simple, to see other courses related to the perfect, click here:

🔗 Course on the present perfect continuous for the TOEIC®

🔗 Course on the present perfect simple VS present perfect continuous for the TOEIC®

🔗 Course on the past perfect simple for the TOEIC®

🔗 Course on the past perfect continuous for the TOEIC®

How to form the present perfect simple?

The present perfect simple is composed of the auxiliary "have" conjugated in the present, followed by a verb in the past participle.

Affirmative sentences	Negative sentences	Interrogative sentences
I have finished	I have not (haven't) finished	Have I finished ?
You have finished	You have not (haven't) finished	Have you finished ?
He / She / It has finished	He / She / It has not (hasn't) finished	Has she finished ?
We have finished	We have not (haven't) finished	Have we finished ?
You have finished	You have not (haven't) finished	Have you finished ?
They have finished	They have not (haven't) finished	Have they finished ?

In our example, the verb "finish" in the past participle is "finished" (verb + -ed). For irregular verbs, we use the verb that is in the "past participle" column.

The list of irregular verbs is available here:

🔗 List of irregular verbs for the TOEIC®

The omission of "has" in the third person singular is a very common mistake in the TOEIC®, particularly in Part 5:

~~He have worked here since 2001~~ — "he has worked here since 2001"

When to use the present perfect simple?

A. The present perfect simple to talk about past actions with an impact on the present

The present perfect simple is used to describe an action that occurred in the past (yesterday) and whose consequences or effects are still visible or felt in the present (now, today). This tense emphasizes the link between the past and the present moment.

I have lost my keys.
I lost my keys (past action) SO now I am stuck outside (consequence on the present)

Using the present perfect with for and since

The perfect is very often used with the time indicators "for" or "since".

"For" indicates a duration (for 2 years, for 3 months...)
- I have lived in Paris for five years.
  And I still live there.
"Since" indicates a specific starting point in the past (since 2020, since Monday...)
- He has worked here since 2010.
  He is still employed here today.

TOEIC® Tip:
As soon as you see a "for" or a "since" in a TOEIC® question, think directly of the perfect! Outside of the perfect, almost no tense is used with "for" or "since" (notably the present simple).

❌ ~~I am in Australia since 2021~~
✅I have been in Australia since 2021

Using the present perfect with stative verbs

The present perfect simple is often used with so-called stative verbs, such as "to be", "to have", "to know", "to like", or "to believe". These verbs describe a state or a situation rather than an action, which can, in some contexts, highlight a link between the past and the present.

The list of stative verbs is available here:

🔗 List of stative verbs for the TOEIC®

I have known her for five years.
And I still know her.
They have always believed in hard work.
And it is still true now.
She has been my teacher since 2018.
She still is.

TOEIC® Tip
Stative verbs are often associated with "for" and "since" to indicate a duration or a starting point in the past.

Using the present perfect with how long

The present perfect simple is often used with How long... to inquire about the duration of an action or a state that began in the past and continues to the present.

How long have you lived in this city?
I have lived here for 5 years / since 2018.

Using the present perfect in negative sentences

The present perfect is often used in negative sentences to indicate how long it has been since the last time an action occurred.

I haven't played football for months.
She hasn't visited her grandparents since last summer.

B. The present perfect simple to talk about life experiences

The present perfect simple is used to tell about experiences or moments of life that happened at an indefinite time in the past, but are still relevant now. We use it to describe what we have done or never done in life.

She has visited Japan three times.
She might still go back.
I have never tried skiing.
It's an experience I haven't lived yet.

Using the present perfect with the adverbs never and ever

The present perfect is very often used with the adverbs "ever" or "never".

Ever is frequently used with the present perfect to ask if something has happened in the past.
- In questions:
  - Have you ever worked in a multinational company?
- In negative sentences:
  - I haven't ever missed a deadline.
Never is frequently used with the present perfect to say that an action has never happened until now
- In affirmative sentences with a negative sense:
  - I have never attended a trade show before.
  - The candidate has never managed a team before.
- For expressing surprise:
  - Never have I seen such detailed reports!

Common mistake
Be careful about the placement of ever and never in the sentence, we always place these two adverbs between the auxiliary (have/has) and the past participle

❌ ~~This is the best pizza I ever have eaten.~~
✅ This is the best pizza I have ever eaten

❌ ~~She never has tried skiing before.~~
✅ She has never tried skiing before.

C. The present perfect simple to talk about recent actions with immediate effect (with "just")

The present perfect simple is used to talk about a recent action that just ended and affected the present moment. It is often associated with the adverb "just" to indicate that the action just happened.

The meeting has just started.
It's happening now.
They have just signed the contract.
The agreement is now official.
The train has just left.
It's not at the station anymore.

D. The present perfect simple to talk about repeated actions over an unfinished period

The present perfect simple is used to describe repeated actions that occurred during a period of time that is not yet finished (like this week, today, or this year). This tense emphasizes the link between these actions and the present moment.

I have seen him twice this week.
The week is not over, I might see him again.
She has called the client three times today.
The day is not over.
We have visited five branches this month.
The month is not over.
We have received many emails recently.
The recent period is still ongoing.

Associated keywords

Keyword	Example
Recently	We have received many emails recently.
This week	I have visited the office three times this week.
This summer	They have traveled a lot this summer.
So far	She has completed four tasks so far.
In the past few days	We have made significant progress in the past few days.
Today	He has already called three clients today.
This morning	I have sent two reports this morning.
This month	We have opened two new stores this month.
This year	She has received several awards this year.
To date	We have achieved excellent results to date.
Over the last few weeks	They have launched three campaigns over the last few weeks.
Up to now	The team has solved all the issues up to now.
Lately	I have been feeling very tired lately.

Nuance When an action is finished, but the period of time extends until today, we use the present perfect with since (but never with for).

We have opened 9 stores since July

E. The present perfect simple to talk about changes over time

The present perfect simple is used to describe evolutions, improvements, or transformations that occurred between the past and the present. This tense emphasizes the process or the impact of the change.

Her English has improved a lot.
She speaks much better now.
The company has grown significantly over the past year.
It is now bigger and more prosperous.
He has become more confident since he started his new job.
This change is visible now.
Technology has advanced rapidly in the last decade.
These advancements influence the present.

F. The present perfect simple to talk about actions whose moment is not specified

The present perfect simple is used when the exact moment when an action occurred does not matter. What matters is whether the action was performed or not, or it could still happen.

Associated keywords

Already : used in affirmative sentences to indicate that an action has already happened, often earlier than expected. Already is placed between the auxiliary (have/has) and the past participle
- She has already completed the report.
Yet : used in questions and negative sentences to talk about an action that hasn't happened yet but is expected. Yet is placed at the end of the sentence
- Have you sent the email yet?
- I haven't finished my homework yet.
Still : used mainly in negative sentences to emphasize that an expected action hasn't happened yet, with particular emphasis
- I still haven't received a reply.

Some small nuances of the present perfect simple

Nuance 1: "Been" vs "Gone"

The difference between has been and has gone can be confusing, but it's essential to master.

Has been is used to indicate that a person visited a place in the past, but they are not currently present.
- She has been to Paris several times.
  But she is not there now.
Has gone is used to indicate that a person went somewhere and is still there or hasn't returned.
- She has gone to the supermarket.
  She hasn't returned yet.

Nuance 2: present perfect simple VS present simple

It's important not to confuse the present perfect simple and the present simple, as these two tenses express different things.

The present simple expresses a general fact, a permanent truth or an habit.
- She works at a bank.
  She works at a bank in general.
- I live in Paris.
  It's a stable fact.
The present perfect simple indicates a past action that continues in the present.
- She has worked at a bank since 2010.
- I have lived in Paris for five years.

Conclusion

The present perfect simple is an essential tense for the TOEIC®, often tested in grammar and comprehension questions.

It is used to express past actions that have an impact on the present, life experiences or situations that have lasted for a certain time.

Remember the keywords like "for", "since", "ever", "never", "just", "already" and "yet", which are frequent in the exam.

The perfect is not limited to the present perfect simple, there is also the present perfect continuous, the past perfect simple and the past perfect continuous. Here are the links to these other courses: