The verb to catch · Conjugation
Present Perfect of catch
The answer: have / has caught
B1
A past action with a link to the present.
Quick answer
The Present Perfect of the verb to catch is have / has caught.
Example: I have already caught the bus.
Full conjugation in the Present Perfect
| Pronoun | Form | Contraction |
|---|---|---|
| I | have caught | I've caught |
| You | have caught | You've caught |
| He / She / It | has caught | He's / She's / It's caught |
| We | have caught | We've caught |
| You (pl.) | have caught | You've caught |
| They | have caught | They've caught |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. I have seen him yesterday ❌
Do not use the Present Perfect with a finished time (yesterday, last week, in 2020, two days ago). Use the Past Simple: I saw him yesterday. With catch, use caught with a finished time and have caught without one.
2. I live here since 2020 ❌
Some situations started in the past and are still true now. For them, use the Present Perfect: I have lived here since 2020, I have known her for three years. Use since + a starting point (since Monday, since 2020). Use for + a length of time (for two weeks, for a long time).
3. He have caught ❌
With he, she and it, use has, not have: he has caught, my friend has caught. The short form is he's caught. Careful: here 's means has, not is.
Practice quiz
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Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate catch in the Present Perfect?+
Use have or has + the past participle caught. Use has with he, she and it. Use have with I, you, we and they: I have caught, she has caught. Short forms: I've caught, she's caught.
What is the past participle of catch?+
The past participle of catch is caught. You use it after have, has and had. It is the same as the Past Simple: caught.
When do you use the Present Perfect of catch?+
Use it for a past action that is connected to now, with no exact time. Use it for experiences in your life: Have you ever caught…? Use it for a recent action with a result now, often with just: I have just caught… Use it also for a situation that started in the past and continues: I have lived here since 2020.
What is the difference between I caught and I have caught?+
I caught (Past Simple) goes with a finished time: yesterday, last week, in 2020, two days ago. I have caught (Present Perfect) has no finished time, and the result is important now. Signal words: ever, never, already, just, yet.
How do you make the negative and the question of catch in the Present Perfect?+
Negative: I haven't caught, she hasn't caught. Question: put have or has before the subject: Have you caught…?, Has she caught…? The word yet often goes at the end of a negative or a question: Have you finished yet?
Related pages: catch Present Perfect
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/catch/present-perfect
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.
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