Page 26 - English Grammar in Use

Unit
7 Present perfect 1 (I have done)

A Study this example situation:

I’ve lost my key. Tom can’t find his key.
He’s lost his key. (= He has lost …)
he has lost his key =
he lost it and he doesn’t have it now
have lost / has lost is the present perfect simple:
finished
I/we/they/you have (= I’ve etc.)
lost
done
he/she/it has (= he’s etc.) been etc.

The present perfect simple is have/has + past participle. The past participle often ends in -ed

(finished/decided etc.), but many verbs are irregular (lost/done/written etc.).
For a list of irregular verbs, see Appendix 1.

B When we say ‘something has happened’, this is usually new information:
Ow! I’ve cut my finger.
The road is closed. There’s been an accident. (= There has been …)
Police have arrested two men in connection with the robbery.
When we use the present perfect, there is a connection with now. The action in the past has a result now:
Tom has lost his key. (= he doesn’t have it now)
He told me his name, but I’ve forgotten it. (= I can’t remember it now)
Sally is still here. She hasn’t gone out. (= she is here now)
I can’t find my bag. Have you seen it? (= do you know where it is now?)
Compare gone (to) and been (to):
James is on holiday. He has gone to Italy. (= he is there now or on his way there)
Amy is back home now. She has been to Italy. (= she has now come back)

C You can use the present perfect with just, already and yet.

Just = a short time ago:
‘Are you hungry?’ ‘No, I’ve just had lunch.’
Hello. Have you just arrived?
Already = sooner than expected:
‘Don’t forget to pay the bill.’ ‘I’ve already paid it.’
‘What time is Mark leaving?’ ‘He’s already left.’

Yet = until now. We use yet to show that we are expecting something to happen.
We use yet in questions and negative sentences:
Has it stopped raining yet?
I’ve written the email, but I haven’t sent it yet.

D You can also use the past simple (did, went, had etc.) in the examples on this page. So you can say:
Ben isn’t here. He’s gone out. or He went out.
‘Are you hungry?’ ‘No, I’ve just had lunch.’ or ‘No, I just had lunch.’

Present perfect ➜ Units 8, 11 been to ➜ Units 8A, 126A Present perfect continuous ➜ Units 9–10
14 Present perfect and past ➜ Units 12–14 yet and already ➜ Unit 111 American English ➜ Appendix 7