Present Perfect Exercises: Rules and Practice
The present perfect is one of the tenses learners struggle with most, mainly because many languages don't have a direct equivalent. It connects the past to the present — describing something that happened at an unspecified time but is relevant now. This guide breaks the rule down clearly and gives you exercises to practice.
What Is the Present Perfect?
Formed with have/has + past participle, the present perfect describes:
- An action that started in the past and continues now: "I have lived here for five years."
- A past experience without a specific time: "I have visited Japan." (when isn't important)
- A recent action with present relevance: "She has just finished her homework."
- An action repeated up to now: "I have watched this movie three times."
Present Perfect vs Past Simple
This is the single biggest confusion point for learners:
| Present Perfect | Past Simple |
|---|---|
| I have visited Paris. (at some point, time unspecified) | I visited Paris in 2019. (specific time given) |
| She has lived here for 10 years. (still true now) | She lived here for 10 years. (no longer true — she moved) |
Rule of thumb: if a specific past time is mentioned (yesterday, in 2020, last week), use past simple, not present perfect.
Present Perfect with "Since" and "For"
- for + a duration: for five years, for two hours, for a long time
- since + a starting point: since 2019, since Monday, since I was a child
I have worked here for three years. / I have worked here since 2021.
Present Perfect Continuous
Used to emphasize the duration or ongoing nature of an action: "I have been studying English for two years." Compare with simple present perfect, which emphasizes completion or result: "I have studied three chapters."
Practice Exercise
Fill in the blanks with the correct form (present perfect or past simple):
- She ______ (visit) Italy last summer.
- They ______ (not finish) the project yet.
- ______ you ever ______ (try) sushi?
- I ______ (live) in Rabat since 2020.
- He ______ (lose) his keys — he can't find them now.
(Answers: visited / have not finished / Have, tried / have lived / has lost)
Present Perfect in Reported Speech
When converting present perfect statements into reported speech, the tense shifts back to past perfect: "I have finished" becomes "she said she had finished." See our reported speech examples guide for the complete backshifting rules.
Common Mistakes
- Using present perfect with a specific past time ("I have visited Paris in 2019" — should be past simple)
- Confusing "for" and "since"
- Forgetting the past participle form for irregular verbs (gone vs been, written vs wrote)
More Grammar Practice
For a broader set of exercises across all tenses and grammar points, see our full English grammar exercises guide.
External Reference
For additional present perfect practice with answer keys, the British Council LearnEnglish grammar section offers free, well-structured exercises.
FAQ
What's the easiest way to know when to use present perfect vs past simple? Check if a specific time is mentioned. If yes ("yesterday," "in 2020"), use past simple. If no specific time is given, present perfect is usually correct.
Can I use "since" with a duration like "since two years"? No — "since" pairs with a starting point (since 2020, since Monday), while "for" pairs with a duration (for two years, for a week).
Is present perfect continuous the same as present perfect? No — present perfect continuous emphasizes an ongoing action ("I have been working all day"), while present perfect often emphasizes completion or result ("I have finished my work").
Explore more tense and grammar guides in our Worksheets section.