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“Has” or “have” used alone is just simple present tense, so if you see it connected
to a past participle such as “eaten,” “finished,” or “rung” you know you are
dealing with the present perfect.
Oftentimes, ETS will trick us because they will use present perfect correctly, but will combine it with the
wrong past participle.
Take a look at the following example:
He rang the doorbell.
- In this instance, “rang” is a simple past tense verb.
He has rung the doorbell often.
- In this instance, “has rung” is present perfect.
- ETS might write this instead – He has rang the doorbell often – although present perfect
tense is correct, it is combined with the simple past, not the past participle, so rang should
be rung.
ALWAYS GO WITH THE “U” FORM OF THE VERB WHEN COMBINED WITH A HELPING VERB LIKE
“HAS” OR “HAVE”!
Don’t be thrown if you see present perfect conjugated as “has been eating”
or “have been eating.” It’s still the present perfect and the rules still apply.
Present Perfect Usage #1: Indicates an action or experience from the past that occurred at no set time
and may have happened more than once.
- He has lived in Sweden.
- She has traveled to Europe.
- I have seen an elephant.
- She has studied here often.
- They have played together five times over the last few months.
Let’s take a look at the following example:
She has traveled to Europe.
- As written, this sentence indicates that at some point between the past and present she has been
to Europe versus...
I traveled to Europe 2 years ago.
- As written, this sentence indicates a specific time in the past (2 years ago), so simple past tense
(traveled) is correct.