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1 The Key Question
Is the Time Finished or Not?
📘 Level 2 — Present Perfect — Lesson 3

One question decides the tense: is the time finished, or is it still going?

Some times are finished. They are over. Use the Past Simple.

Some times are not finished. You are still inside them now. Use the Present Perfect. (The time words for both are in section 4.)

2 Two Kinds of Time
Finished Time vs. Time Not Finished
Finished time → Past Simple
The weather was great last week.
Prices rose sharply last month.
The delivery didn't arrive last week.

Time not finished → Present Perfect
The weather has been great this week.
Prices have risen sharply this month.
The delivery hasn't arrived this week.
3 Same Clock Time
The Tense Changes When the Time Finishes

The event can happen at the same clock time. The tense can still change. It depends on one thing: is the time still going when you speak?

It is Tuesday, 10am:

10am — morning not finishedI haven't heard from him this morning. — it is still morning

Now it is 3pm on the same day:

3pm — morning finishedI didn't hear from him this morning. — the morning is over

The day is the same. The event is the same. But the morning is now finished, so the tense changes. Use the Present Perfect only while you are still inside the time.

4 Signal Words
Time Not Finished vs. Finished Time
Time not finished — use the Present Perfect
today this morning / afternoon / evening this week this month this year this term / semester so far up to now recently / lately
Finished time — always use the Past Simple
yesterday last week / month / year in 2019 / in January last Monday last season two days ago the other day
5 Common Mistakes
Watch Out For These
❌ Mistake 1 — Using the Past Simple when the time is not finished
✗ Sales grew this month.
✗ Nobody complained this week.
✗ Her attitude changed this week.
✓ Sales have grown this month.
✓ Nobody has complained this week.
✓ Her attitude has changed this week.
This month is not finished, so use the Present Perfect.
❌ Mistake 2 — Using the Present Perfect with a finished time
✗ Traffic has worsened last week.
✗ The news has spread yesterday.
✗ Her English has improved last term.
✓ Traffic worsened last week.
✓ The news spread yesterday.
✓ Her English improved last term.
Last week, yesterday, and last term are finished times, so use the Past Simple.
❌ Mistake 3 — Forgetting have/has
✗ Costs increased this month. (no "have")
✗ The situation become worse this week. (no "has")
✗ She chosen a new supplier this week. (no "has")
✓ Costs have increased this month.
✓ The situation has become worse this week.
✓ She has chosen a new supplier this week.
The Present Perfect always has two parts: have/has and the past participle. Do not forget have/has.
6 Practice
Try It Yourself
Exercise A — Time Not Finished, or Finished Time?

Click "Time Not Finished" if the time word is still going, or "Finished Time" if it's already finished.

  • 1
    She has stayed late every day so far this week.
    ✓ Correct — "this week" is still going.
  • 2
    Membership decreased last year.
    ✓ Correct — "last year" is already finished.
  • 3
    The app closed unexpectedly yesterday.
    ✓ Correct — "yesterday" is already finished.
  • 4
    I have understood the lesson much better today.
    ✓ Correct — "today" is still going.
  • 5
    The company developed a new product last year.
    ✓ Correct — "last year" is already finished.
  • 6
    He has felt nervous all morning.
    ✓ Correct — the morning is still going.
  • 7
    The two sides agreed on a price last month.
    ✓ Correct — "last month" is already finished.
  • 8
    She has learned a lot this term.
    ✓ Correct — "this term" is still going.
Exercise B — Present Perfect Affirmative

Type the correct Present Perfect form of the verb given.

  • 1
    She more relaxed lately. (seem)
  • 2
    He his confidence this month. (lose)
  • 3
    He badly this week. (sleep)
  • 4
    The sun brightly this week. (shine)
  • 5
    He less this month. (weigh)
  • 6
    The office strange this month. (smell)
  • 7
    We for better news this week. (hope)
  • 8
    The rain all morning. (continue)
Exercise C — Correct or Incorrect?

Click your answer for each sentence.

  • 1
    The problem has remained unsolved this term.
    ✓ Correct — "this term" is not finished, correctly built.
  • 2
    A strange pattern appeared this month.
    ✓ Correct — this is wrong. "This month" is not finished, so it needs the Present Perfect: "A strange pattern has appeared this month."
  • 3
    She has caught a cold last week.
    ✓ Correct — this is wrong. "Last week" is finished, so it needs the Past Simple: "She caught a cold last week."
  • 4
    He hasn't covered that topic yet this term.
    ✓ Correct — "this term" is not finished, correctly built.
  • 5
    She choose a new supplier this month.
    ✓ Correct — this is wrong. It's missing "has": "She has chosen a new supplier this month."
  • 6
    He has taught two new classes this term.
    ✓ Correct — "this term" is not finished, correctly explained.
  • 7
    Nobody has notice the mistake yet.
    ✓ Correct — this is wrong. It needs the past participle: "has noticed."
  • 8
    She has fixed the printer so far.
    ✓ Correct — "so far" is not finished, correctly built.
Exercise D — Negatives

Type the whole negative verb phrase. Use the contracted negative (haven't/hasn't).

  • 1
    The postman at the door yet this morning. (knock)
  • 2
    She at a wedding this year. (dance)
  • 3
    He at anyone this week. (shout)
  • 4
    They the boxes yet this month. (pack)
  • 5
    The garage the car this week. (repair)
  • 6
    She that hill this year. (climb)
  • 7
    The neighbors this month. (argue)
  • 8
    She the office yet this term. (decorate)
Exercise E — Questions

Type the whole opening question phrase.

  • 1
    anywhere new this year? (you / travel)
  • 2
    this year? (anyone / get married)
  • 3
    smoking this month? (he / quit)
  • 4
    at all this year? (she / smoke)
  • 5
    this morning? (the phone / ring)
  • 6
    for the exam this week? (you / study)
  • 7
    online this month? (they / chat)
  • 8
    the new office this week? (you / visit)
7 Choose the Right Sentence
Apply What You Know

Read each question carefully. Select the sentence that matches the description.

Question 1 of 8
Select the correctly formed sentence for a time that is not finished.
Question 2 of 8
Select the sentence that needs Past Simple, not Present Perfect.
Question 3 of 8
It is 10am and the morning is still going. Select the correct sentence.
Question 4 of 8
Select the correct sentence for a finished time.
Question 5 of 8
Select the correctly formed negative sentence.
Question 6 of 8
Select the sentence that needs Present Perfect, not Past Simple.
Question 7 of 8
Select the correctly formed question.
Question 8 of 8
It is 3pm and the morning has ended. Select the correct sentence.
8 Summary
Present Perfect: With an Incomplete Period of Time One question decides the tense: is the time finished, or is it still going? A finished time (yesterday, last week, last year) takes the Past Simple. A time that is not finished (today, this week, this month, so far) takes the Present Perfect.
  • The same event can change tense when the time finishes. This is why this morning and this evening are special.
  • Always use both parts: have/has and the past participle.
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