Present Perfect: With Quantities

1 Counting Up to Now

Totals and the Clock

📘 Level 2 — Present Perfect — Lesson 8

A total tells you how many or how much: three emails, ten countries, two hundred tickets.

The rule is the same as in lesson 35: is the time finished or not? The number does not change the rule.

Time not finished → Present Perfect (the total can still grow)
She has written four reports this week.
I have sent thirty emails so far today.

Finished time → Past Simple (the total is final)
The players scored eight goals last season.
We sold two hundred tickets last month.

2 Lifetime and Career

A Person Who Is Still Active

A person's life or career is not finished while the person is alive and working. Use the Present Perfect. The total can still grow.

She has written three novels in her career. (She is still writing.)
He has broken three world records in the past two years. (He is still competing.)
The band has produced five albums. (They are still active.)
She has seen hundreds of patients during her career. (She is still a doctor.)
He has visited forty countries. (He is still traveling.)

When the person has stopped working, or has died, the time is finished. Use the Past Simple: Shakespeare wrote thirty-seven plays. Picasso created over 20,000 works.

3 How Many / How Much

Questions and Negatives

Questions about totals follow the same rule: is the time finished?

Question	Time	Tense
How many coffees have you had today?	today	not finished — Present Perfect
How many applications did you receive last month?	last month	finished — Past Simple
How many countries has she visited in her lifetime?	lifetime	not finished — Present Perfect
How many goals did the players score last season?	last season	finished — Past Simple

In negative sentences, use any: I haven't sent any emails today. He hasn't scored any goals this season.

4 Common Mistakes

Watch Out For These

❌ Mistake 1 — Past Simple for a person who is still active

✗ She wrote three novels in her career. (She is still writing.)

✗ He broke three records in the past two years. (He is still competing.)

✓ She has written three novels in her career. (She is still writing.)

✓ He has broken three records in the past two years. (He is still competing.)

The Present Perfect says the total can still grow. The Past Simple says the total is final. If you use the Past Simple for a person who is still working, it sounds like the person has stopped.

❌ Mistake 2 — Present Simple for a total

✗ She builds three companies in her career.

✗ I send thirty emails today.

✗ How many countries does he visit in his lifetime?

✓ She has built three companies in her career.

✓ I have sent thirty emails today.

✓ How many countries has he visited in his lifetime?

The Present Simple is for habits and facts. It cannot count a total up to now. Use the Present Perfect.

❌ Mistake 3 — "How many times have you...?" or "How many times did you...?"

✗ How many times did you see this movie in your life?

✗ How many times have you been there last year? (last year = finished time)

✓ How many times have you seen this movie? (your whole life = time not finished)

✓ How many times did you go there last year? (last year = finished time)

How many times have you...? asks about your whole life up to now. How many times did you...? asks about a finished time, like last year. Use the Present Perfect when the time is not finished. Use the Past Simple when it is finished.

5 Practice

Try It Yourself

Exercise A — Present Perfect: Time Not Finished

Type the correct Present Perfect form of the verb given.

1

She ten photos so far. (take)
2

He three talks this year. (give)
3

They five offers this week. (make)
4

I twenty replies up to now. (receive)
5

She six documentaries in her career. (produce)
6

We three types of tomatoes this summer. (grow)
7

He two records over the past year. (break)
8

The clinic fifty patients this week. (see)

Exercise B — Correct or Incorrect?

Click your answer for each sentence.

1

She has won three awards this decade.

✓ Correct — "this decade" is not finished.
2

They have opened five new stores last summer.

✓ Correct — This sentence is wrong. "Last summer" is a finished time: "They opened five new stores last summer."
3

She writes four novels so far in her career.

✓ Correct — This sentence is wrong. It needs the Present Perfect: "She has written four novels so far."
4

He wrote nine symphonies before his death.

✓ Correct — his death finished the time, so the Past Simple is right.
5

How many times has she called today?

✓ Correct — "today" is not finished.
6

How many goals have the players scored last season?

✓ Correct — This sentence is wrong. "Last season" is a finished time: "How many goals did the players score last season?"
7

She has climbed three mountains in her lifetime.

✓ Correct — "lifetime" is not finished while she is alive.
8

The museum has had two million visitors during the exhibition, which closed yesterday.

✓ Correct — This sentence is wrong. The exhibition is over, so the time is finished: "The museum had two million visitors during the exhibition."

Exercise C — Present Perfect or Past Simple?

Decide if the time is finished or not finished. Then type the correct form of the verb.

1

She two books so far, and she's already planning a third. (write)
2

The factory a thousand cars a year until it shut down for good. (produce)
3

The charity thousands of dollars this year, and donations are still coming in. (raise)
4

She three championships before she stopped competing. (win)
5

He three goals already this season, and there are still ten games left. (score)
6

The old shop two hundred copies on its final day before closing forever. (sell)
7

The museum thousands of visitors, and the exhibition doesn't close until next month. (have)
8

The band three albums before they broke up. (make)

Exercise D — How Many / How Much Questions

Decide if the time is finished or not finished. Then type the missing verbs.

1

How many cups of coffee today? (you / have)
2

How many tickets last weekend? (they / sell)
3

How many countries in his lifetime? (he / visit)
4

How many cars during the 1960s? (the factory / produce)
5

How many emails so far this morning? (you / send)
6

How many people before it closed? (the factory / add)
7

How many awards up to now? (the film / win)
8

How many guests during its opening year? (the hotel / have)

Exercise E — Negatives With ANY

Type the negative verb phrase. Use the contracted form of have/has + not.

1

Messi any goals this game. (score)
2

The company any new staff this month. (add)
3

I any replies so far today. (receive)
4

She any awards this year. (win)
5

The store any tickets this morning. (sell)
6

He any records this season. (break)
7

They any offers so far this week. (make)
8

The clinic any patients this morning. (see)

6 Choose the Right Sentence

Apply What You Know

Read each question. Choose the sentence that matches.

Question 1 of 8

Select the correct negative sentence.

A is correct. In a negative sentence, use "any." The Present Perfect negative is "haven't" + the past participle.

Question 2 of 8

Select the sentence that wrongly says someone has stopped working.

D is correct — this is the wrong one. The Past Simple makes her career sound finished. It should be "She has made six films in her career."

Question 3 of 8

Select the correctly formed sentence.

B is correct. A total up to now needs the Present Perfect. It does not use the Present Simple, Present Continuous, or Past Continuous.

Question 4 of 8

Select the correctly formed lifetime question.

C is correct. A question about a lifetime total needs the Present Perfect. "Have" goes before the subject. The past participle goes at the end.

Question 5 of 8

Select the correct question for a finished time.

B is correct. "Last season" is a finished time, so the question needs the Past Simple with "did."

Question 6 of 8

Select the correct sentence about a person who died long ago.

D is correct. Shakespeare's life and career are over, so the time is finished. Use the Past Simple.

Question 7 of 8

Select the correct sentence for a time that is not finished.

A is correct. "So far today" is not finished, so it needs the Present Perfect.

Question 8 of 8

Select the sentence that is wrong. It needs the Past Simple.

C is correct — this is the wrong one. "Before she stopped writing" is a finished time, so it needs the Past Simple: "She wrote three novels before she stopped writing."

7 Summary

Present Perfect: With Quantities A number does not decide the tense. The time decides: is the time finished or not?

A person who is alive and working has a total that is not finished. Use the Present Perfect, even for large numbers.
How many times have you...? asks about your whole life. How many times did you...? asks about a finished time. They are different.
In negatives, use any: She hasn't won any awards this year.

✓ Mark this lesson complete

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