Escola Secundária D. Sancho I - V. N. de Famalicão
Simple Past vs. Present Perfect
Stating a definite time in the past:
the simple past
The past in relation to the present:
the present perfect
™ If you want to say that an event occurred
at a particular time in the past, you use the
simple past.
™ If you want to mention something that
happened in the past but you do not want to state
a specific time, you use the present perfect
tense.
- The Prime Minister flew into New York
yesterday.
- Our window cleaner went off to Canada
last year.
™ If you want to say that a situation existed
over a period of time in the past, you also use
the simple past.
- He lived in Paris during his last years.
- Throughout 1954 he tirelessly studied law.
™ If you are talking about something that
happened in the past, and you mention a
situation that existed at that time, you use the
simple past. You can do this whether the
situation still exists or not.
- All the streets in this part of the city looked
alike.
™ If you want to talk about an activity that
took place regularly or repeatedly in the past,
but which no longer occurs, you use the
simple past.
- We walked a great deal in my boyhood.
Each week we trekked to the big house.
™ Question word: When?
™ Other words: last week, last year,
yesterday, ago...
- They have raised £180 for a swimming pool.
- l have noticed this trait in many photographers.
™ You cannot use adjuncts which place the
action at a definite time in the past with the
present perfect. You cannot say 'I have done it
yesterday'. You can, however, use an adjunct of
duration.
- The wolves have left the forest forever.
- I ate brown rice, which I have always hated,
and vegetables from my garden.
™ You can also use 'since' and 'for' with the
present perfect because when they are used in this
way they refer to a definite time.
- They have been back every year since then.
- It was the only record to have stayed in the
charts for a full six weeks.
™ You can use the present perfect with:
just (= a short time ago)
already (something that has happened sooner
than expected)
- They have just arrived from the cinema.
- She has already finished her exam.
™ Other words: recently, lately, yet , ever,
never, this is (it’s) the first time...
- This is the 1st time he has driven a car / He has
never driven a car before.
™ Question word: how long?
™ We use the present perfect with this
morning, this evening, today, this week, this
term... when these periods are not finished at the
time of speaking
- I haven’t seen Tom this morning.
Difficult
Intermediate
Easy
To do some exercises click on the following links
http://www.geocities.com/gob72/Simplevsperfectpast.htm
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/StudyZone/410/grammar/ppvpast1.htm
http://www.better-english.com/grammar/pspp1.htm
http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/tenses/simple_past_present_perfect.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/wi3/englishcorner/grammar/Interactive/spvprpf1.html
http://www.angelfire.com/wi3/englishcorner/grammar/Interactive/spvprpf3.html
http://www.englishmedialab.com/Quizzes/intermediate/present%20perfect%20vs%20past.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs5.htm
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/StudyZone/410/grammar/ppvpast2.htm
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/StudyZone/410/grammar/ppvpast3.htm
http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/CET/flashactivities/presperf_pastsimp.html
http://www.autoenglish.org/gr.perf.i.htm
http://connect2esl.com/main/activities/simplepastpresentperf1.htm
http://www.inglesonline.com.br/exerciciosdeinglesonline/present-perfect-or-past-1.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs6.htm
http://www.englishmedialab.com/Quizzes/intermediate/present%20perfect%20vs%20past%202.htm