Present Perfect vs Past Perfect

Exercises

Explanation

In simple terms:

• Present Perfect → a past action with present relevance

• Past Perfect → a past action that happened before another past event

1. Present Perfect

Form: have / has + past participle (V3)

Examples

• I have travelled through several European cities.

• She has broken her phone, so she can’t call anyone now.

• We haven’t organised the event yet.

When do we use Present Perfect?

A. Past action with a connection to the present

Something began earlier and still affects the situation now.

• I have worked here since 2021.
  (= I still work here.)

B. Talking about life experiences

The exact time is not mentioned because it is not important.

• He has tried scuba diving.
  (= This is one of his life experiences.)

C. Describing changes over time

• The city has grown rapidly in the last decade.

D. Unfinished actions or situations

• They haven’t cleaned the kitchen yet.
  (= The action is still incomplete.)

Present Perfect = a past action with a present result or relevance

2. Past Perfect

Form: had + past participle (V3)

Examples

• I had written the report before the manager asked for it.

• She had never tried Korean food before that evening.

• Had they repaired the roof before the storm arrived?

When do we use Past Perfect?

A. To show the earlier of two past events

One event happened first; the other followed.

• He had left the office before I reached the building.
  (= He left → then I arrived.)

B. Explaining causes or background in the past

• She was exhausted because she had travelled overnight.

Past Perfect = “the past before another past moment”

3. Present Perfect vs Past Perfect – The Key Difference

The Present Perfect focuses on now, while the Past Perfect focuses on an earlier moment in the past.

4. “Have had” – Which tense is it?

To identify the tense, always check the first verb:

• Present Perfect
  I have had this bag for years.
  → first verb = have

• Past Perfect
  I had had the same teacher before I moved schools.
  → first verb = had

Quick Summary

• Present Perfect
  → describes a past action that is still important, relevant, or true now
  → I have lived here for a long time.

• Past Perfect
  → describes an earlier action completed before another point in the past
  → I had lived there for years before I moved.