The verb to pay · Conjugation
Present Perfect of pay
The answer: have / has paid
B1
A past action with a link to the present.
Quick answer
The Present Perfect of the verb to pay is have / has paid.
Example: I have already paid the bill.
Full conjugation in the Present Perfect
| Pronoun | Form | Contraction |
|---|---|---|
| I | have paid | I've paid |
| You | have paid | You've paid |
| He / She / It | has paid | He's / She's / It's paid |
| We | have paid | We've paid |
| You (pl.) | have paid | You've paid |
| They | have paid | They've paid |
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 pay, use paid with a finished time and have paid 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 paid ❌
With he, she and it, use has, not have: he has paid, my friend has paid. The short form is he's paid. Careful: here 's means has, not is.
Practice quiz
Going further
The English contest tests the Present Perfect of pay in real sentences
Instead of a single school exercise, your students meet this tense in context, in a contest that really motivates them.
Register my students5,000 students every year · Primary and secondary
Practise on PLAYMaster the Present Perfect of pay when you speak, not just on paper
The conjugation is clear in your head. On PLAY, you practise it in a game, with instant feedback, until it comes out on its own.
Practise the Present Perfect of pay on PLAYFree · No sign-up · 3 minutes
For teachersYour whole class practises the Present Perfect of pay, and you follow each student
The Academy has self-marking activities on this form, with a dashboard for each student: you see at a glance who is falling behind.
Discover the Academy30-day free trial · No bank card needed
Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate pay in the Present Perfect?+
Use have or has + the past participle paid. Use has with he, she and it. Use have with I, you, we and they: I have paid, she has paid. Short forms: I've paid, she's paid.
What is the past participle of pay?+
The past participle of pay is paid. You use it after have, has and had. It is the same as the Past Simple: paid.
When do you use the Present Perfect of pay?+
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 paid…? Use it for a recent action with a result now, often with just: I have just paid… 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 paid and I have paid?+
I paid (Past Simple) goes with a finished time: yesterday, last week, in 2020, two days ago. I have paid (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 pay in the Present Perfect?+
Negative: I haven't paid, she hasn't paid. Question: put have or has before the subject: Have you paid…?, Has she paid…? The word yet often goes at the end of a negative or a question: Have you finished yet?
Related pages: pay 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/pay/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.
Keep learning
More forms of the verb to pay are coming soon.