Present Perfect — The Bucket List (already / yet)
B1 — grammar, vocabulary, listening, reading, writing
Sofía: Bucket list check! I have already run a marathon. Well... half. OK, a quarter.
Ben: I have already gotten a tattoo — a tiny map of Colombia. I haven't shown it to my mum yet.
Kenji: I have already eaten hormigas culonas. I haven't tried mondongo yet. I need time.
Abuela Carmen: I have done everything on my list. So I have started a new list.
Common mistake: “I have saw that movie.” — Correct: “I have seen that movie.”
The present perfect (have + third form) talks about your life results up to now — perfect for a bucket list: what you have already done and what you haven't done yet.
have / has + third form (participle)| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|
| Affirmative + already | have/has + already + participle | I have already gotten a tattoo |
| Negative + yet | haven't/hasn't + participle + yet | I haven't written a book yet |
| Question | Have/Has + subject + participle (+ yet)? | Have you finished your list yet? |
| Short answer | Yes, I have. / No, she hasn't. | Have you tried it? Yes, I have. |
| already = done ✓ | before the participle | She has already visited Peru |
| yet = pending ⧗ | at the end of negatives and questions | Have you eaten yet? |
- ★ be · was/were · been — ser / estar
- ★ do · did · done — hacer
- ★ see · saw · seen — ver
- ★ eat · ate · eaten — comer
- ★ get · got · gotten — conseguir
- i-o-en write · wrote · written — escribir
- i-o-en ride · rode · ridden — montar
- i-a-u swim · swam · swum — nadar
- ew/own fly · flew · flown — volar
- 2 forms win · won · won — ganar
- -ed try · tried · tried — intentar / probar
- -ed climb · climbed · climbed — escalar
- I have already gotten a tattoo.
- Sofía has already run half a marathon.
- Kenji has already eaten hormigas culonas.
- Abuela Carmen has done everything on her list.
- I haven't written a book yet.
- Ben hasn't shown the tattoo to his mum yet.
- We haven't climbed a volcano yet.
- Have you finished your bucket list yet?
- Has Kenji tried mondongo yet?
- What have you already done this year?
- Have you gotten a tattoo? Yes, I have.
- Has she written her book yet? No, she hasn't.
- Have they flown in a helicopter? No, they haven't.
Practice
- I have already ___ a tattoo. (gotten, got it, getting)
- I haven't written a book ___. (already, yet, never)
- She has ___ visited Peru — twice! (yet, ever, already)
- 'Already' goes with things you have done; 'yet' goes with pending things in negatives and questions.
- The present perfect uses the second form of the verb: 'I have wrote'.
- Kenji has already ___ (eat) hormigas culonas.
- We haven't ___ (climb) a volcano yet.
- ___ you finished your bucket list yet?
- Unscramble: I, haven't, written, a, book, yet
- Unscramble: she, has, already, run, a, marathon
- Find the mistake: I have saw that movie three times.
- Find the mistake: Ben hasn't showed the tattoo to his mum yet.
- Find the mistake: I have already wrote two chapters.
- I have already tried mondongo. — Write the negative form (use 'yet').
- She has finished her list. — Write the yes/no question (use 'yet').
- Have you gotten a tattoo? — Answer with a short answer (Yes).
- I have already swum with dolphins. — Write the negative form (use 'yet').
- They haven't flown in a helicopter yet. — Write the affirmative form (use 'already').
- Have you eaten breakfast today? (short answer)
- Have you climbed Everest? (short answer, No)
Listening
Sofía: OK, team bucket list. Kenji, what have you already done in Colombia?
Kenji: I have already ridden a chiva, and I have already swum in the Caribbean.
Ben: Impressive. I haven't ridden a chiva yet. Is it safe?
Kenji: Ben, you have already fallen off a hammock. Nothing is safe for you.
Abuela Carmen: I have won three dance competitions, and I haven't finished yet.
Sofía: Abuela has already done more things than all of us together!
Reading
Ben's bucket list is a small notebook with two columns. The left column says DONE: 'I have already gotten a tattoo (a tiny map of Colombia). I have already swum in two oceans. I have already eaten the spiciest taco in Mexico — and survived.' The right column says NOT YET: 'I haven't written my travel book yet, but I have already written the title: Clumsy Around the World. I haven't shown my tattoo to my mum yet. And I haven't learned to dance salsa yet — Abuela Carmen says there is no hope, but she has agreed to try one more time.'
- Ben has already gotten a tattoo.
- He has already written his travel book.
- He has already eaten a very spicy taco in Mexico.
- Ben has already shown the tattoo to his mum.