To form the present perfect:  we use "have" / "has" + the past participle.

Note: You can also use contractions:  I have = I've;  you have = you've;  he has = he's;  she has = she's   we have = we've;  they have = they've

 

To form the past participle:  add "ed" to the infinitive form of regular  verbs. We use the same form for each subject (e.g., I, you, he).

• I have started the car. (start — started)

• I've started my book report.

• She has worked as a cashier before. (work — worked)

• She's worked here for 20 years.

• It has rained for three days now. (rain — rained)

• It's rained all day.

• The store has opened. (open — opened)

• We've already talked about this. (talk — talked)

• You've watched that movie many times before. (watched — watched)

 

Spelling Changes with Past Participles

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Sometimes there are spelling changes when forming the past participle:

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1.  If the verb ends with "y", we change it to -i and add -ed (but only if there's a consonant before the -y):

• Have you tried the cupcakes? They're delicious! (try — tried)

• We've studied the present perfect but not the past perfect. (study — studied)

• I've cried about this for months.   (cry — cried)

• My assistant has copied the report for the meeting.  (copy — copied)

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2.  If the verb ends with "e" , we add just a "d" (not "ed"): 

• Has the bank already closed? (close — closed, NOT:  closeed)

• She has measured the ingredients for the recipe. (measure — measured)

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3. Double the final consonant after a short stressed vowel if the verb ends in a CVC (consonant vowel consonant)*:

• I have stopped drinking alcohol for now.  (stop — stopped:  double the "p" then add "ed")

• She has planned a surprise for dinner.  (plan — planned)

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(*except CVC endings with w, x, or y)

 

Irregular Past Participle Forms

Many verbs have irregular past participles.

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Examples:

• We have eaten all the cake. (NOT: we have "eated")

• I have done my homework already. (NOT: "doded")

• Help! My dog has run away. (NOT:  "runned")