Unit 13: Present Perfect

Achievements and experiences up to the present

Learn a new verb form, read about three famous people, and discover why we sometimes use the present perfect and sometimes the past simple.

Step 1 — Two familiar forms, and one new use

You already know the past simple: I worked yesterday. She went to London. He saw a film. Now we are going to learn another verb form called the past participle.

With regular verbs, the past simple and past participle usually look the same.

Base form	Past simple	Past participle
work	worked	worked
play	played	played
visit	visited	visited
finish	finished	finished

Some common irregular verbs have different forms. Learn these in small groups.

Base form	Past simple	Past participle
be	was / were	been
go	went	gone
see	saw	seen
do	did	done
write	wrote	written
win	won	won
eat	ate	eaten
take	took	taken
become	became	become
speak	spoke	spoken
beat	beat	beaten
build	built	built

Teacher idea: Say the three forms aloud and let learners repeat them in a rhythm. Start with a few forms, then add more as learners need them. They do not need to memorise the whole table at once.

Step 2 — How do we make the present perfect?

Use have or has + the past participle.

I have visited London.

You have seen that film.

She has written many songs.

He has won several titles.

We have eaten lunch.

Use have with I, you, we, they and plural subjects. Use has with he, she, it and singular subjects.

Try it — choose the correct form

1. She ______ won an award.

have has

2. They have ______ the film.

saw seen

3. I have ______ a letter.

written wrote

Step 3 — Statements, negatives and questions

Statement: I have visited Spain.

Negative: I have not visited Spain. / I haven't visited Spain.

Question: Have you visited Spain?

Short answers: Yes, I have. / No, I haven't.

She has finished her work.

She hasn't finished her work.

Has she finished her work?

Yes, she has. / No, she hasn't.

Notice that the past participle does not change in the question. We put have or has before the subject.

Practise

1. Make this sentence negative: He has seen the film.

2. Make a question: You have visited Italy.

Step 4 — Who am I? Achievements up to the present

Each person describes achievements that are part of their life story today. Read each text and guess who the person is. Underline the examples of have/has + past participle.

Student A — Person 1

I've become an internationally known climate activist. I've spoken to world leaders about climate change, and I've inspired many young people to take action. I've addressed the United Nations and taken part in major climate demonstrations. I've helped to make climate change a more important subject in public debate. I've also crossed the Atlantic by boat to attend climate events without flying. I've received international awards and have continued to campaign for a safer future for our planet.

Who do you think it is?

Student A — Person 2

I've become one of the world's most successful singer-songwriters. I've written and recorded many hit songs, and I've released numerous successful albums. I've won many music awards, including multiple Grammy Awards. I've performed in sold-out stadiums around the world, and I've built a huge international following. I've also written songs about my own experiences and relationships, and I've re-recorded several of my earlier albums to regain control of my music. I've become one of the most influential artists in popular music.

Who do you think it is?

Student A — Person 3

I've become one of the leading tennis players in the world. I've won several Grand Slam singles titles, including the US Open, Wimbledon and the French Open. I've beaten some of the greatest players in tennis, and I've become the youngest man to achieve the career Grand Slam. I've won major tournaments on different surfaces, and I've represented Spain in international competitions. I've also inspired many young tennis players with my speed, energy and determination on court.

Who do you think it is?

Reveal the answers

1. Greta Thunberg

2. Taylor Swift

3. Carlos Alcaraz

Notice the language

The writers look back at achievements and experiences up to now. The texts do not focus on exactly when each achievement happened.

I've become an activist.

I've written songs.

I've won major titles.

Talk together: Which clues helped you guess? Which achievements do you find most impressive? Can you name another person who has achieved something remarkable?

Step 5 — Questions about achievements

We can ask about someone's achievements using the present perfect.

What has Greta done? — She's campaigned about climate change.

What has Taylor Swift written? — She's written many songs.

What has Carlos Alcaraz won? — He's won several major tennis titles.

Who has he beaten? — He's beaten some of the greatest players in tennis.

Practise making questions with a partner. Use What have you…?, Have you ever…? and Who has…? You can answer from the texts or talk about your own experiences.

Build the question

1. Taylor Swift / write / what?

2. Carlos Alcaraz / win / what?

3. you / ever / visit / another country?

Step 6 — Now ask about a particular event

Imagine you are interviewing Carlos Alcaraz. First, ask about his achievements up to the present. Then ask about a particular event in the past.

Present perfect: What major titles have you won?

Past simple: When did you win Wimbledon?

Past simple: Who did you beat in that final?

The present perfect question asks about achievements up to now. The past simple questions ask about a particular past event. When we ask when something happened, we normally use the past simple.

The timeline is a useful picture of the idea, not a rule that every present perfect sentence describes several events. A single past event can also have a connection with the present.

Practise the contrast

1. ______ you ever ______ a Grand Slam final? (see)

2. When ______ he ______ Wimbledon? (win)

3. Who ______ he ______ in the final? (beat)

For questions 2 and 3, the prompts give the missing verb forms. Put the words in the correct order and include the question word.

Step 7 — A short story: An experience to remember

Last summer, Mina travelled to Italy with her cousin. They visited Rome and saw the Colosseum. Mina took hundreds of photographs and ate some wonderful food. She bought a small guidebook and wrote notes about the places they visited.

Mina has travelled abroad several times, but this trip has become especially important to her. She has kept the guidebook and photographs, and she has shown them to her friends. She has also learned a little Italian. She says that she has never forgotten the first evening, when she sat in a small square and listened to a musician playing the guitar.

Her cousin has visited Italy before, but Mina hasn't been back yet. They have talked about going together again next year.

Check your understanding

1. Where did Mina go last summer?

Spain
Italy

2. What did Mina buy?

A guidebook
A guitar

3. Why has the trip remained important to Mina?

It has become a special memory and she has kept things from it.
She has forgotten everything about it.

Look at the tenses in the story

Find examples of the past simple and present perfect. Why does the writer use the past simple for the trip last summer, but the present perfect for things that remain important now?

Step 8 — Use the language

A. Ask a partner

Ask these questions. Give short answers first, then add more information if you can.

Have you ever travelled to another country?
Have you ever met a famous person?
Have you ever won a prize or competition?
Have you ever learned to do something difficult?
Have you ever seen a film more than once?

Follow up with a past simple question when the answer is yes: Where did you go? When did you meet them? What did you win?

B. Write about your experiences

Write three sentences about things you have done or experienced. Then choose one experience and write two more sentences about when it happened and what you did.

Remember: The present perfect connects an experience or achievement with the present. The past simple tells us about an event at a particular time in the past.

Quick review

1. Choose the correct sentence.

I have seen her yesterday.
I saw her yesterday.

2. Complete: She has ______ three songs. (write)

3. Complete: ______ you ever ______ sushi? (eat)