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