One of the difficulties English learners have is to distinguish between verb tenses. Actually, this is not a difficult task if you know what are the uses each tense have.
Present Perfect vs Past Simple
Present Perfect
Use:
1) The present perfect tense is often used to tell up-to-date news.
‘Great news! Jane has had a baby!’
Use:
1) The present perfect tense is often used to tell up-to-date news.
‘Great news! Jane has had a baby!’
But you cannot use the present perfect with phrases relating to finished time.
‘Great news! Jane has had a baby yesterday!’
So, to ask about and give more details, you need to use the past simple.
‘Great news! Jane has had a baby!’
‘When did she have it?’
‘She had it last night!’
‘Great news! Jane has had a baby yesterday!’
So, to ask about and give more details, you need to use the past simple.
‘Great news! Jane has had a baby!’
‘When did she have it?’
‘She had it last night!’
2) The present perfect can be used with phrases relating to unfinished time, such as:
this week, today, this year
I’ve seen Roger twice this week.
That’s the second time I’ve seen that film this year.
this week, today, this year
I’ve seen Roger twice this week.
That’s the second time I’ve seen that film this year.
3) The present perfect is often used in sentences with these words:
just, yet, already, ever, never
I’ve just finished the report.
Karen has finished the book already.
I haven’t finished the report yet.
I’ve never been to Spain. Have you ever been?
just, yet, already, ever, never
I’ve just finished the report.
Karen has finished the book already.
I haven’t finished the report yet.
I’ve never been to Spain. Have you ever been?
4) The present perfect is used to describe periods of time that start in the past and continue until the present. It is often used with for and since.
I’ve lived here for five years.
James has worked here since last summer.
The present perfect and past simple may appear in the same sentence:
I’ve lived here since I was a child.
Tom has been unemployed since he left the factory.
I’ve lived here for five years.
James has worked here since last summer.
The present perfect and past simple may appear in the same sentence:
I’ve lived here since I was a child.
Tom has been unemployed since he left the factory.
Past Simple
Use:
The past simple can be used with phrases relating to finished time, such as:
yesterday, last week, last month, in 2010, two weeks ago
Use:
The past simple can be used with phrases relating to finished time, such as:
yesterday, last week, last month, in 2010, two weeks ago
Jemma left the company six weeks ago.
I emailed Tony last week.
I emailed Tony last week.
Form:
Present Perfect
Present Perfect
Positive
I / you / they / we
he / she / it |
have / ‘ve
has / ‘s
|
past participle
|
Negative
| I / you / they / we
he / she / it
|
haven’t / ‘ve not
hasn’t / ‘s not
|
past participle
|
Questions
| Have Has |
you / they / we
he / she / it
|
past participle?
|
Past Simple
Positive
| I / you / they / we / he / she / it |
past tense verb
|
Negative
| I / you / they / we / he / she / it |
didn’t
|
infinitive verb
|
Questions
| Did |
you / they / we / he / she / it
|
infinitive verb?
|
Present Perfect Continuous
Use:
Use present perfect continuous in two situations.
1) You started something in the past and you are still doing it now.
I’ve been working all morning (and I’m still working now).
Use present perfect continuous in two situations.
1) You started something in the past and you are still doing it now.
I’ve been working all morning (and I’m still working now).
2) You have just finished doing something. The effects of this activity can still be seen.
I’ve been gardening, so my hands are dirty.
Form:
Form the present perfect continuous in this way.
I’ve been gardening, so my hands are dirty.
Form:
Form the present perfect continuous in this way.
Positive and Negative
I, you, we, they
he, she, it
|
have / haven’t
‘ve /’ve not
has / hasn’t
‘s / ‘s not |
been
|
verb + ing
|
Examples: You’ve been eating chocolate. I’ve not been sleeping well.
Questions
Have
Has
|
I, you, we, they
he, she, it
|
been
|
verb + ing?
|
Examples: Have you been drinking? Has Emily been seeing her ex-boyfriend?
Past Perfect
Use:
a) The past perfect is a narrative tense. This means it is used when telling a story about the past.
It is used in the same paragraph as verbs in the past simple tense, and is often used in the same sentence as a past simple verb.
a) The past perfect is a narrative tense. This means it is used when telling a story about the past.
It is used in the same paragraph as verbs in the past simple tense, and is often used in the same sentence as a past simple verb.
The past perfect describes an event which happened before another event in the past. We use it when we do not want to say the events in the order they happened.
Example:
A sentence with the events in the order they happened:
John went to the shop on the way home from work, so he got home late.
Both verbs are in the past simple.
A sentence with the events in the order they happened:
John went to the shop on the way home from work, so he got home late.
Both verbs are in the past simple.
A sentence in which the events are NOT in order:
John got home late because he had gone to the shop on the way home from work.
The event which happened before the other verb is in the past perfect tense.
John got home late because he had gone to the shop on the way home from work.
The event which happened before the other verb is in the past perfect tense.
b) The past perfect is also used in other structures such as:
I wish: I wish I had cleaned the house!
Third Conditional: If I had practiced harder, we might have won the competition.
I wish: I wish I had cleaned the house!
Third Conditional: If I had practiced harder, we might have won the competition.
Form:
I
you he / she / it we they |
had
hadn’t
|
past participle
|
Write any adverbs between had and the past participle.
The film had already started.
The post had just been delivered.
The film had already started.
The post had just been delivered.
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