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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.
- Past Simple Or Present Perfect 1
Past Simple or Present Perfect Exercise 1. Choose the past...
- Past Simple Or Present Perfect 1
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.
We use the past simple (NOT present perfect) when we mention or ask about when something happened or when the time is known by the speaker and the listener. We often use a past expression ( last week, yesterday, when I was a child, etc .)
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.)
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.
In British English, we use the present perfect to talk about an action or situation in the past when we don't know the exact time or it isn't important. I've invited Dave and Sue for dinner. We use the past simple to talk about a specific time in the past. I phoned my brother yesterday.
7 sie 2024 · Learn the key differences between past simple and present perfect tenses in English, with forms, usages, and time phrases.
