Past Participles

B1 Eiken 2 Intermediate

have/has + past participle

Explanation

Past participles are the verb form you use after "have" or "has" in the present perfect.

For example, "I have finished my homework." Here, "I" is the subject, "have" is the helper verb, and "finished" is the past participle. The sentence means the homework is complete now, so English shows a link to the present. Japanese often says "宿題を終えた" with a plain past form, but English needs the helper verb plus the past participle. Some past participles are irregular, like "gone," "taken," and "written."

Examples

  • I have finished my homework. 私は宿題を終えました。
  • She has already left. 彼女はもう出発しました。
  • Have you ever seen Mount Fuji? 富士山を見たことがありますか。
  • We have not started dinner yet. 私たちはまだ夕食を始めていません。
  • He has taken the train to work today. 彼は今日、電車で仕事に行きました。
  • They have just moved to Osaka. 彼らはちょうど大阪に引っ越しました。

Common Mistakes

Japanese learners often use the past simple form after "have" or "has": "I have ate breakfast." The right form is "I have eaten breakfast." They also often forget the helper verb: "I eaten breakfast." → "I have eaten breakfast." After "have/has," use the past participle, not the plain past form.

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