Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-3-1-present-perfect-tense

[Revision notes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes.md) › [Primary](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary.md) › [English](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english.md) › [English: Year 3 & 4 National Curriculum](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum.md) › Present Perfect Tense

# Present Perfect Tense

English: Year 3 & 4 National Curriculum, topic 2.3.1

## The Past Tense

When something has happened before, we use the past tense. You will have already learnt that most past tense verbs end in 'ed'. This is how the verb 'to watch' works in the past tense.

### I watched

![I watched](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-11/afcc1b0b-e788-4e21-b03c-d73afba1f61e/tv-.jpg)

### You watched

![You watched](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-11/afcc1b0b-e788-4e21-b03c-d73afba1f61e/tv-.jpg)

### He/she/it watched

![He/she/it watched](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-11/afcc1b0b-e788-4e21-b03c-d73afba1f61e/tv-.jpg)

### We watched

![We watched](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-11/afcc1b0b-e788-4e21-b03c-d73afba1f61e/tv-.jpg)

### You (plural) watched

![You (plural) watched](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-11/afcc1b0b-e788-4e21-b03c-d73afba1f61e/tv-.jpg)

### They watched

![They watched](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-11/afcc1b0b-e788-4e21-b03c-d73afba1f61e/tv-.jpg)

## The Present Perfect Tense

We use the present perfect tense to talk about things that have happened more than once in the past or to talk about things that happened at an unknown time in the past.

### Past perfect tense

![Past perfect tense](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/1300afd6-2fbc-40c1-8259-f294e520828f/comedy-film-funny.jpg)

- The present perfect tense always uses **has** or **have** followed by a **past tense verb**. 
- We will look at examples of the past perfect tense on the next slides...

### I **have** watched

![I **have** watched](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-09/847a792f-ac32-4905-926d-45f46c3b1d74/eye-watch-.jpg)

### You **have** watched

![You **have** watched](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/ac6fb5b6-ba7d-4b39-a900-bcb25204b540/you-have.jpg)

### He/she/it **has** watched

![He/she/it **has** watched](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-03/57e90dfd-5a9a-4437-aeb1-48c7478af7ee/shutterstock_302296544.jpg)

### We **have** watched

![We **have** watched](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/courseImages/biology/5.3.2-%20Control%20of%20water%20balance/family-kids-happy-people-46252-min.jpg)

### You (plural) **have** watched

![You (plural) **have** watched](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/3c8c7bc6-f0ab-4c0c-86c5-26b1112b30a2/group-minority-debating-discussion.jpg)

### They **have** watched

![They **have** watched](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-09/b99ab68e-c475-47da-beeb-705ac7d6ac98/people-3137672_1920.jpg)

## Test yourself on Present Perfect Tense

- What is the past tense of '__I use__'?
- Which suffix do we add to the end of 'work' to make it past tense?
- What word do we need to add to form the present perfect tense?

__I ______________ __always loved cricket.__
- What is the name of the __tense__ we use to talk about things that have happened more than once in the past and might still happen?
- What is the name of the __tense__ we use to talk about things that have happened at an unknown time in the past (e.g. we have been there before)?

[Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/55380d04-654f-4809-93bc-7a6bae8dd341/section/87794d8b-85e2-48b3-98fc-3ff55ab148ec/session)

- Previous topic: [2.2.5 End of Topic Test - Conjunctions](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-2-5-end-of-topic-test-conjunctions.md)
- Next topic: [2.3.2 Uses of the Present Perfect Tense](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-3-2-uses-of-the-present-perfect-tense.md)

## English: Year 3 & 4 National Curriculum contents

### 1 Reading
- 1.1 Root Words
  - [1.1.1 Understanding New Words](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-1-1-understanding-new-words.md)
  - [1.1.2 Exception Words](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-1-2-exception-words.md)
- 1.2 Prefixes
  - [1.2.1 'Anti-' & 'Auto-'](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-2-1-anti-and-auto.md)
  - [1.2.2 Not & 'Inter-'](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-2-2-not-and-inter.md)
  - [1.2.3 'Mis-', 'Dis-' & 'Re-'](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-2-3-mis-dis-and-re.md)
  - [1.2.4 'Sub-' & 'Super-'](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-2-4-sub-and-super.md)
  - [1.2.5 End of Topic Test - Root Words & Prefixes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-2-5-end-of-topic-test-root-words-and-prefixes.md)
- 1.3 Suffixes
  - [1.3.1 Vowel Suffixes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-1-vowel-suffixes.md)
  - [1.3.2 Suffixes: '-ous'](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-2-suffixes-ous.md)
  - [1.3.3 Rules for Suffixes: '-ous'](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-3-rules-for-suffixes-ous.md)
  - [1.3.4 Testing - Rules for Suffixes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-4-testing-rules-for-suffixes.md)
  - [1.3.5 Suffixes: '-ly'](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-5-suffixes-ly.md)
  - [1.3.6 Suffixes: '-ation'](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-6-suffixes-ation.md)
  - [1.3.7 Rules for Suffixes: '-ation'](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-7-rules-for-suffixes-ation.md)
  - [1.3.8 Spelling: '-tion' Endings](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-8-spelling-tion-endings.md)
  - [1.3.9 Spelling: '-sion' Endings](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-9-spelling-sion-endings.md)
  - [1.3.10 Spelling: '-ssion' Endings](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-10-spelling-ssion-endings.md)
  - [1.3.11 Spelling: '-cian' Endings](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-11-spelling-cian-endings.md)
  - [1.3.12 End of Topic Test - Suffixes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-12-end-of-topic-test-suffixes.md)

### 2 Writing
- 2.1 Composition
  - [2.1.1 Effective Writing](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-1-1-effective-writing.md)
  - [2.1.2 Planning](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-1-2-planning.md)
  - [2.1.3 Drafting](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-1-3-drafting.md)
  - [2.1.4 Editing](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-1-4-editing.md)
  - [2.1.5 End of Topic Test - Writing Composition](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-1-5-end-of-topic-test-writing-composition.md)
- 2.2 Conjunctions
  - [2.2.1 Simple Sentences & Compound Sentences](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-2-1-simple-sentences-and-compound-sentences.md)
  - [2.2.2 Complex Sentences](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-2-2-complex-sentences.md)
  - [2.2.3 Coordinating Conjunctions](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-2-3-coordinating-conjunctions.md)
  - [2.2.4 Subordinating Conjunctions](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-2-4-subordinating-conjunctions.md)
  - [2.2.5 End of Topic Test - Conjunctions](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-2-5-end-of-topic-test-conjunctions.md)
- 2.3 Present Perfect Tense
  - [2.3.1 Present Perfect Tense](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-3-1-present-perfect-tense.md)
  - [2.3.2 Uses of the Present Perfect Tense](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-3-2-uses-of-the-present-perfect-tense.md)
- 2.4 Nouns
  - [2.4.1 Using Nouns & Pronouns Properly](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-4-1-using-nouns-and-pronouns-properly.md)
  - [2.4.2 End of Topic Test - Present Perfect & Nouns](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-4-2-end-of-topic-test-present-perfect-and-nouns.md)
- 2.5 Fronted Adverbials
  - [2.5.1 Saying Where, When & How Often](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-5-1-saying-where-when-and-how-often.md)
  - [2.5.2 Saying How & Why](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-5-2-saying-how-and-why.md)
  - [2.5.3 Using Commas](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-5-3-using-commas.md)
- 2.6 Direct Speech
  - [2.6.1 Direct Speech](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-6-1-direct-speech.md)
  - [2.6.2 End of Topic Test - Fronted Adverbials & Speech](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-6-2-end-of-topic-test-fronted-adverbials-and-speech.md)
- 2.7 Homophones
  - [2.7.1 Accept & Except](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-1-accept-and-except.md)
  - [2.7.2 Affect & Effect](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-2-affect-and-effect.md)
  - [2.7.3 Ball & Bawl](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-3-ball-and-bawl.md)
  - [2.7.4 Berry & Bury](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-4-berry-and-bury.md)
  - [2.7.5 Brake & Break](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-5-brake-and-break.md)
  - [2.7.6 Fair & Fare](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-6-fair-and-fare.md)
  - [2.7.7 Grate & Great](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-7-grate-and-great.md)
  - [2.7.8 Groan & Grown](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-8-groan-and-grown.md)
  - [2.7.9 Hear & Here](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-9-hear-and-here.md)
  - [2.7.10 Heal, Heel & He'll](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-10-heal-heel-and-hell.md)
  - [2.7.11 Knot & Not](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-11-knot-and-not.md)
  - [2.7.12 Mail & Male](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-12-mail-and-male.md)
  - [2.7.13 Main & Mane](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-13-main-and-mane.md)
  - [2.7.14 Meat & Meet](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-14-meat-and-meet.md)
  - [2.7.15 Medal & Meddle](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-15-medal-and-meddle.md)
  - [2.7.16 Missed & Mist](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-16-missed-and-mist.md)
  - [2.7.17 Peace & Piece](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-17-peace-and-piece.md)
  - [2.7.18 Plain & Plane](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-18-plain-and-plane.md)
  - [2.7.19 Rain & Reign & Rein](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-19-rain-and-reign-and-rein.md)
  - [2.7.20 Scene & Seen](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-20-scene-and-seen.md)
  - [2.7.21 Weather & Whether](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-21-weather-and-whether.md)
  - [2.7.22 Whose & Who's](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-22-whose-and-whos.md)
  - [2.7.23 End of Topic Test - Homophones](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-23-end-of-topic-test-homophones.md)
- 2.8 Spelling Rules
  - [2.8.1 Hard 'U' & 'I' Sounds](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-8-1-hard-u-and-i-sounds.md)
  - [2.8.2 Words Ending in '-Sure', '-Mure' & '-Sion'](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-8-2-words-ending-in-sure-mure-and-sion.md)
  - [2.8.3 'Ei', 'Eigh' & 'Ey' Spellings](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-8-3-ei-eigh-and-ey-spellings.md)
  - [2.8.4 Words Ending in 'G' & 'K' Sounds](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-8-4-words-ending-in-g-and-k-sounds.md)
  - [2.8.5 Spelling Words with 'Ch' & 'Sc'](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-8-5-spelling-words-with-ch-and-sc.md)
  - [2.8.6 Silent Letters](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-8-6-silent-letters.md)
  - [2.8.7 End of Topic Test - Spelling Rules](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-8-7-end-of-topic-test-spelling-rules.md)
- 2.9 Using Apostrophes
  - [2.9.1 Using Apostrophes with Regular Plurals](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-9-1-using-apostrophes-with-regular-plurals.md)
  - [2.9.2 Using Apostrophes with Irregular Plurals](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-9-2-using-apostrophes-with-irregular-plurals.md)
- 2.10 Using a Dictionary
  - [2.10.1 Using a Dictionary](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-10-1-using-a-dictionary.md)
  - [2.10.2 End of Topic Test - Apostrophes & Dictionaries](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-10-2-end-of-topic-test-apostrophes-and-dictionaries.md)