The verb to cost · Conjugation
Present Perfect of cost
The answer: have / has cost
B1
A past action with a link to the present.
Quick answer
The Present Perfect of the verb to cost is have / has cost.
Example: I have already cost a lot of money.
Full conjugation in the Present Perfect
| Pronoun | Form | Contraction |
|---|---|---|
| I | have cost | I've cost |
| You | have cost | You've cost |
| He / She / It | has cost | He's / She's / It's cost |
| We | have cost | We've cost |
| You (pl.) | have cost | You've cost |
| They | have cost | They've cost |
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 cost, use cost with a finished time and have cost 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 cost ❌
With he, she and it, use has, not have: he has cost, my friend has cost. The short form is he's cost. Careful: here 's means has, not is.
Practice quiz
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Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate cost in the Present Perfect?+
Use have or has + the past participle cost. Use has with he, she and it. Use have with I, you, we and they: I have cost, she has cost. Short forms: I've cost, she's cost.
What is the past participle of cost?+
The past participle of cost is cost. You use it after have, has and had. It is the same as the Past Simple: cost.
When do you use the Present Perfect of cost?+
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 cost…? Use it for a recent action with a result now, often with just: I have just cost… 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 cost and I have cost?+
I cost (Past Simple) goes with a finished time: yesterday, last week, in 2020, two days ago. I have cost (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 cost in the Present Perfect?+
Negative: I haven't cost, she hasn't cost. Question: put have or has before the subject: Have you cost…?, Has she cost…? The word yet often goes at the end of a negative or a question: Have you finished yet?
Related pages: cost 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/cost/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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More forms of the verb to cost are coming soon.