Present perfect and past perfect
Present perfect simple
wh- questionsa2
Present perfect simple: wh-questions
Grammar contents
- ‘How much has he won?’ ‘£5,000!’
- I can't find my keys. Where have they gone?
- ‘Why haven't you finished this work?’ ‘I've been busy.’
- What have you made for dinner?
We form present perfect simple wh- questions with:
Question word + have/has + subject + past participle?
| Wh- questions (?) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Question word | have/has | subject | past participle |
|
have |
|
|
| has | he/she/it | ||
| have |
|
||
We use present perfect wh- questions to ask about recent events or actions.
- ‘Where have you been?’ ‘At school.’
- ‘Why hasn't Laura arrived? ’ ‘Her car has broken down.’
The present perfect (simple) connects the past with the present. We use present perfect questions to ask about recent events that are news.
- ‘Have you heard the news about Mike?’ ‘No. What has he done?’ ‘He's won the competition.’
We don't usually use ever in wh- questions.
- What have you done?What have you ever done?
We don't say when the event or action happened with the present perfect and so we don't usually ask questions with when. We use the past simple instead.
- When did you hear the news?When have you heard the news?
Grammar contentsView all
Present perfect and past perfect
Quantifiers, possessives and demonstratives