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2 maj 2024 · The present perfect focuses on the present result of a past action, while the past perfect focuses on the past result of a past action. For example, if you say “I have lost my keys,” you’re talking about the present result (not having your keys) of a past action (losing your keys).
We use the past simple for past events or actions which have no connection to the present. We use the present perfect for actions which started in the past and are still happening now OR for finished actions which have a connection to the present.
We use the present perfect to talk about time up to now, that is, events that took place in the past but which connect with the present. The present perfect is often used with time expressions which indicate time up to now, for example today, this year, in the last six months: I haven’t seen her since January 1995.
Both present perfect and past perfect talk about something that happened before a point in time (reference point). In the present perfect, our reference point is the present. In the past perfect, our reference point is in the past.
Key difference 1: the simple past refers to a specific action and often tells us when it happened. the present perfect does not tell us when an action happened, only that it did. Examples: I went to Norway in 2014. (simple past) when? in 2014.
Simple Past Present Perfect Simple; Emphasis on action. Example: I bought a new bike. (just telling what I did in the past.) Emphasis on result. Example: I have bought a new bike. (With this sentence I actually want to express that I have a new bike now.)
The past perfect is very similar to the present perfect because the event also started in the past. However, the difference between the events is that the past perfect event also ended in the past. This can be used with a specified time. For example, “I had studied in China last year”.
