Present perfect in unfinished time

The idea

Use have or has plus a past participle to connect events within an unfinished period to now. Use the past simple for a completed period. American English sometimes uses the past simple where British English prefers the present perfect, especially for recent events.

Examples

• I have had three meetings today, and the day is not over.
• Mina has visited her grandmother twice this month.
• We have not seen any snow this winter so far.
• Have you spoken to the new neighbour this week?
• The café sold all its bread yesterday.
• Last week, Omar missed two buses.

Watch out

Do not use the present perfect with a finished time expression such as yesterday. The same calendar day can also be viewed as a completed period in context.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the tense for the stated time perspective. It is still Monday. So far today, I ___ four emails. (have sent / sent)

   Show answer or example answer

   have sent

   have sent counts messages up to now on a day still in progress.

2. Choose the tense for the stated time perspective. Yesterday, Lee ___ a letter. (has posted / posted)

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   posted

   posted places the letter in the completed day before today.

3. Choose the tense for the stated time perspective. The week is still in progress. We ___ the museum twice so far this week. (have visited / visited)

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   have visited

   have visited counts visits up to now in the current week.

Use it today

Describe two things you have done this week and one thing you did last week.