Present Perfect - Business English
Type your answer in each blank and press Enter to check it, or use Check answers below. A cue in (brackets) is the word to put in the right form.
Use the present perfect to link the past to now. You form it with "have" or "has" plus the past participle: "I have finished," "She has sent the report." Reach for it when the exact time is not important or not stated, when something started in the past and continues today, or when a past action still matters right now. Compare "I have worked here for three years" (you still work here) with the past simple "I worked there in 2019" (finished, with a clear time). Because of this, do not use the present perfect with finished time markers such as "yesterday," "last week," or "in 2019", use the past simple instead. Two common professional uses: reporting results without a date, as in "We have launched the new pricing page," and talking about experience, as in "Have you ever managed a remote team?" Watch the partner words: "for" with a length of time ("for two weeks"), "since" with a starting point ("since Monday"), and "already," "yet," and "just" to show whether something is done or expected. A frequent pitfall is saying "I have seen him yesterday." Drop the time word or switch to the past simple: "I saw him yesterday." Also remember the participle is fixed: "I have went" is wrong; say "I have gone."
Let's practise. Type each answer and press Enter, I'll check it with you.
- I (finish) the quarterly report already.
- Mr. Henderson (sign) the contract for the new merger.
- We (meet) with the stakeholders three times this month.
- She (not/send) the invitation to the keynote speaker yet.
- They (expand) their operations into the Asian market.
- You (achieve) all your sales targets this year.
- The company (launch) several new products recently.
- Has the IT department (fix) the server issue? (fix)
- We (never/work) with such a large client before.
- The marketing team (create) a new campaign for the summer.
- I (not/see) the latest budget proposal yet.
- How many times you (call) the supplier this week? (call)
- Our CEO (give) a presentation about the new strategy.
- The price of raw materials (increase) significantly.
- They (negotiate) the terms of the deal for hours.
- She (already/update) the client database. (update)
- We (not/receive) any feedback on the draft.
- The board of directors (approve) the annual budget.
- I (speak) to the manager about your promotion.
- Has he (complete) the training module? (complete)
- The project manager (coordinate) the entire event.
- You (make) a lot of progress on this project.
- We (just/receive) an email from the legal department. (receive)
- The stock price (fall) due to the recent news.
- They (not/decide) on a location for the conference yet.
Common questions
What is the difference between the present perfect and the past simple?
Use the past simple for finished actions at a known time: "I sent the invoice yesterday." Use the present perfect when the time is unstated or the action still affects now: "I have sent the invoice" (so it's done, you can check it). If a sentence has a finished-time marker like "last week," choose the past simple, not the present perfect.
When do I use "for" and "since" with the present perfect?
Use "for" with a length of time and "since" with a starting point. For example, "I have worked here for five years" measures the duration, while "I have worked here since 2021" names when it began. Both describe a situation that started in the past and is still true now, which is why the present perfect fits.
How do "already," "yet," and "just" change a present perfect sentence?
"Just" shows something happened a moment ago: "She has just left the meeting." "Already" shows it happened sooner than expected: "I have already replied to the client." "Yet" appears in questions and negatives about something expected: "Have you finished the draft yet?" or "We haven't approved the budget yet."