The main verb takes a participle form, specifically the past participle. In the present perfect tense, the main verbs always use the auxiliary verbs (helper verbs) has or have. How do you use the present perfect tense? In fact, the present perfect tense is often used interchangeably with the simple past tense, although there are some special situations in which you can only use one or the other, also explained below. We cover a complete list of when to use the present perfect tense below.ĭon’t let the name confuse you-even though the word present is there, the present perfect tense deals with actions that happened or started in the past. The present perfect tense is one of the common verb tenses in English, used to show an action that happened in the past that is directly related to the present, such as actions that are still continuing or that indicate a change over time. Grammarly helps you communicate confidently Write with Grammarly What is present perfect tense?
