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