Understanding the present perfect in English | Learn English with Cambridge

Learning a second language can be tricky sometimes.

I’ve been a teacher for more than 12 years,

and I’ve noticed that many students have difficulty

with the present perfect form.

We use the present perfect form to talk about actions

that have been completed,

or that have happened from a certain time

in the past until now.

To form the present perfect, we use have in the present,

and the main verb in the past participle form.

If I say,

I have been a teacher for 12 years, it means

that I’m still a teacher today.

It’s different from,

I was a teacher for 12 years.

That means that, now, I’m not a teacher anymore.

With he, she, it,

we use has and the past participle of the main verb.

So we say, she has been to London,

which means that in some time in the past,

she was in London.

What’s important in the present perfect is the action,

and not necessarily the time when it happened.

So remember, to make a phrase perfect,

use have in the present

and the main verb in the past part participle tense.

So what have you done, lately?

Tell me in the comments section, using the present perfect.

I hope this video has helped.

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I’ll see you soon.

Bye.