Present Perfect Tense

This is the tense my students find hardest, because Sinhala doesn't have a clean match for it. So let's keep one idea in mind: the present perfect is about now. The action happened in the past, but we're talking about how things are today.

How to make it

have / has + the past participle (the V3 form: eaten, gone, seen, finished). Not sure about a V3? Check the irregular verbs list.

I've = I have, she's = she has (careful: she's can also mean she is).

When do we use it?

1. Something happened, and the result is here now

The result is now

සිංහලෙන්

• Someone has eaten my lunch! (It's gone.)
• I've learned how to make kottu. (I can make it now.)
• The power has gone. (It's dark now.)

2. Life experience: "have you ever…?"

When the question is whether it happened in your life, not when.

Experiences

සිංහලෙන්

• Have you ever been to Ella?
• Have you ever tried wood apple juice?
• I've visited Sigiriya several times.
• She has never been to Jaffna.

3. It started in the past and it's still going

Still true now

සිංහලෙන්

• I've lived in Colombo since 2015.
• We've known each other since we were kids.
• She's worked at the hospital for five years.

4. It just happened

Just now

සිංහලෙන්

• The train has just left.
• I've just finished my homework.

5. In a time that isn't over yet (today, this week, this year)

Unfinished time

සිංහලෙන්

• It has rained a lot this month.
• I haven't seen her today.

The little helper words

ever and never

• ever = at any time in your life. Mostly in questions.
• never = not at any time.

Both go just before the V3: Have you ever eaten…? / I've never eaten…

already and yet

• already = it's done (maybe sooner than you thought). → I've already paid.
• yet = until now. Only in questions and negatives, and usually at the end. → Have you paid yet? / I haven't paid yet.

already / yet

සිංහලෙන්

• Don't call him. I've already spoken to him.
• Has the bus left yet?
• I haven't visited the National Museum yet.

for and since

Present perfect or simple past?

The big question. Here's the test: is there a finished time in the sentence?

• A finished time (yesterday, last week, in 2015, when I was young) → simple past
• No time, or a time that isn't finished (ever, today, this week) → present perfect

Quick check

Tap an answer. Nothing is saved.

1. I've worked here 2020.

   forsince

2. Malki, to Trincomalee?

   have you ever beendid you ever go

3. We to the temple last Poya.

   wenthave gone

4. I haven't finished the report .

   alreadyyet

5. Oh no! The bus just left.

   hashave

6. Have you yet? There's rice and curry on the table.

   eatateeaten