Lesson: Past Simple vs. Present Perfect Tense
Understanding the differences between the Past Simple and Present Perfect tenses can be challenging, especially at an advanced level. This lesson will cover their structures, uses, and key distinctions, followed by examples and exercises to reinforce your understanding.
1. Past Simple Tense
Structure:
- Form:
Subject + past form of the verb (regular verbs end in -ed; irregular verbs have
unique forms).
- Examples:
- She visited her grandmother yesterday.
- They went to Paris last summer.
Uses:
1. Completed
Actions in the Past: Used for actions that happened and ended in the past,
often with specific time references (e.g., yesterday, last week, in 2010).
- Example: I finished the project last
night.
2. Series
of Completed Actions: Used when describing a sequence of actions in the past.
- Example: He woke up, brushed his teeth,
and left the house.
3. Past
Habits or States: Describes past habits or repeated actions.
- Example: We played soccer every weekend
when we were kids.
Time
Expressions Commonly Used:
-
Yesterday, last week, two days ago, in 1995, when I was young.
2.
Present Perfect Tense
Structure:
- Form:
Subject + have/has + past participle of the verb.
- Examples:
- She has visited three countries this year.
- They have never seen a snowstorm.
Uses:
1. Unspecified
Time in the Past: Used when the specific time of the action is not mentioned or
not important.
- Example: I have read that book before.
2. Actions
That Have an Effect on the Present Moment: Used when the past action influences
or relates to the present.
- Example: She has lost her keys, so she
can’t open the door.
3. Life
Experiences: Describes things someone has or hasn’t done in their life.
- Example: He has travelled to Japan.
4. Actions
That Started in the Past and Continue to the Present: Often used with
"since" or "for."
- Example: We have known each other for ten
years.
Time
Expressions Commonly Used:
- Ever,
never, just, already, yet, recently, so far, since, for.
3. Key
Differences
1. Specific vs. Unspecified
Time:
- Past Simple: Focuses on when the action
happened (specific time).
- Example: I met her last year.
- Present Perfect: Focuses on the action
itself, not the exact time.
- Example: I have met her several times.
2. Completed Action vs.
Present Relevance:
- Past Simple: The action is complete with
no direct connection to the present.
- Example: They moved to New York in 2015.
- Present Perfect: The action may affect or
connect to the current situation.
- Example: They have moved to New York
(they live there now).
3. Repeated Actions:
- Past Simple: Refers to past habits or
routines no longer true.
- Example: He played football every
Saturday (but not anymore).
- Present Perfect: Refers to actions that
may continue or repeat in the future.
- Example: He has played football many
times (and may still play).
By
understanding and practicing these distinctions, you'll be able to use the Past
Simple and Present Perfect tenses more accurately and confidently.
Present
Perfect + Past Simple
1. Objective:
- Understand how to use the Present Perfect
and Past Simple tenses together in complex sentences.
- Learn to express sequences, contrasts, and
connections between past and present actions.
2. Key
Concepts:
- Present Perfect: Describes actions or
events that have happened at an unspecified time before now, often with
relevance to the present.
- Past Simple: Describes actions completed
at a specific time in the past.
3. When
to Use These Tenses Together:
- Sequence of Actions: Use Present Perfect
to show a completed action relevant to the present and Past Simple to describe
the action that followed or preceded.
- Cause and Effect: Present Perfect can show
the cause (something that has happened), and Past Simple can show the effect
(something that happened afterward).
- Contrasting Experiences: Use Present
Perfect to talk about ongoing experiences or achievements and Past Simple for
specific past events.
4. Examples:
- Sequence of Actions:
- "She has written the report, and
she submitted it yesterday."
- Cause and Effect:
- "He has lost his job, so he started
looking for new opportunities last week."
- Contrasting Experiences:
- "They have travelled to many
countries, but they visited Japan only once."
Using
both the present perfect and past simple in the same sentence is a great way to
show the relationship between two actions in different times. Here are some
examples:
1. "I
have finished my homework, so I went out to play."
- Present Perfect: "I have
finished my homework" (completed recently or relevant to the
present).
- Past
Simple: "I went out to play" (specific action completed in the
past).
2. "She
has lived in Stockholm for five years, but she moved here in 2019."
- Present Perfect: "She has lived in Stockholm
for five years" (starting in the past and continuing to the present).
- Past Simple: "She moved here in 2019" (specific
action completed in the past).
3. "They
have seen that movie before, so they watched a different one last night."
- Present Perfect: "They have
seen that movie before" (experience up to now).
- Past Simple: "They watched a different one last
night" (specific action completed in the past).
These
combinations help illustrate how past actions can influence or relate to the
present situation.
Here's a set of mixed exercises that combine multiple-choice questions and fill-in-the-blank exercises, focusing on the Present Perfect and Past Simple tenses.
Exercise 1: Multiple Choice
Instructions:
Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) to complete each sentence.
1. Maria__________
to London twice, but she__________ there for the first time last year.
A. has been / went
B. went / goes
C. is going / was
2. We__________
the museum before, but we__________ it last Sunday.
A. have visited / visited
B. visit / have visited
C. visited / have been visiting
3. He__________
his keys, so he__________ the door yesterday.
A. loses / can’t open
B. has lost / couldn’t open
C. lost / can’t opened
4. They__________
in that company for five years, and they__________ working there last
month.
A. have worked / stopped
B. worked / stopping
C. work / stop
5. I__________
this movie three times, but I__________ it with my friends last week.
A. see / seen
B. have seen / saw
C. saw / have seen
Exercise 2: Fill in the Blanks
Instructions:
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs in parentheses using
either the Present Perfect or the Past Simple tense.
1. He____(never/fly)______
on a plane before, but he____(take)______ his first flight last month.
2. We____(finish)______
our homework, so we____(watch)______ TV last night.
3. They____(visit)______
Paris twice, but they____(be)______ there for the first time in 2018.
4. I____(just/start)______
learning Spanish because I____(want)______ to travel to Spain next summer.
5. She____(not/see)______
her cousin in years, but they____(meet)______ at a family reunion last weekend.
6. My
brother____(break)______ his leg, so he____(go)______ to the hospital
yesterday.
7. I____(already/read)______
that book, but I____(read)______ it again during the holidays.
8. They____(move)______
to this city five years ago, and they____(live)______ here ever since.
9. We____(know)______
each other since we____(start)______ high school together.
10. He____(buy)______
a new car last year, but he____(have)______ several issues with it recently.
Exercise
3: Complete the Sentences
Instructions:
Complete each sentence using the correct form of the verbs in parentheses. Use
the Present Perfect for actions relevant to the present and the Past Simple for
specific past actions.
1. She
__(visit)__ Italy several times, but she __(go)__ there for the first time in
2015.
2. I
__(finish)__ my project, so I __(submit)__ it to my teacher yesterday.
3. They
__(see)__ this movie already, so they __(decide)__ to watch something else last
weekend.
4. He
__(live)__ in New York for five years, but he __(move)__ there in 2018.
5. We
__(know)__ each other since we __(meet)__ at the summer camp in 2020.
6. My
brother __(learn)__ to play the guitar, and he __(perform)__ at a concert last
month.
7. I
__(read)__ that book twice, but I __(first/buy)__ it five years ago.
8. She
__(work)__ at this company for ten years, but she __(start)__ her career in
another firm.
9. They
__(eat)__ at that restaurant many times, but they __(try)__ it for the first
time last summer.
10. I
__(lose)__ my keys, so I __(have)__ to call a locksmith last night.
Advanced
Exercises
Instructions:
Complete the sentences using the correct form of the verbs in parentheses. Use
Present Perfect and Past Simple as appropriate.
1. Although
I _______(already/read)_______ the article, I _______(not/understand)_______ it
until I _______(discuss)_______ it with my professor yesterday.
2. She _______(achieve)_______
a lot in her career, but she _______(face)_______ many challenges when she
first _______(start)_______ out.
3. The
company _______(expand)_______ internationally, but they _______(open)_______
their first office abroad only last year.
4. We _______(have)_______
many meetings this week, and we _______(finalize)_______ the contract details
during the last one.
5. He _______(never/try)_______
skiing before, so when he _______(go)_______ to the Alps last winter, he _______(take)_______
lessons.
6. I _______(learn)_______
several programming languages, but I _______(focus)_______ on Python after I _______(find)_______
it the most useful.
7. The team
_______(improve)_______ their performance significantly, though they _______(lose)_______
several important matches earlier in the season.
8. She _______(establish)_______
her reputation as a leading scientist, but she _______(publish)_______ her
first groundbreaking paper only five years ago.
9. They _______(be)_______
friends since they _______(meet)_______ at university, but they _______(have)_______
their first major disagreement recently.
10. I _______(see)_______
him a few times since he _______(move)_______ to our neighborhood, but we _______(not/have)_______
a proper conversation yet.
Answer Key
Multiple Choice: Exercise 1
1. A. has been / went
2. A. have visited / visited
3. B. has lost / couldn’t open
4. A. have worked / stopped
5. B. have seen / saw
Fill in the Blanks: Exercise 2
1. He has never flown on a plane before, but he took his first flight last month.
2. We have finished our homework, so we watched TV last night.
3. They have visited Paris twice, but they were there for the first time in 2018.
4. I have just started learning Spanish because I want to travel to Spain next summer.
5. She has not seen her cousin in years, but they met at a family reunion last weekend.
6. My brother has broken his leg, so he went to the hospital yesterday.
7. I have already read that book, but I read it again during the holidays.
8. They moved to this city five years ago, and they have lived here ever since.
9. We have known each other since we started high school together.
10. He bought a new car last year, but he has had several issues with it recently.
Complete the Sentences Exercise 3:
1. She has visited Italy several times, but she went there for the first time in 2015.
2. I have finished my project, so I submitted it to my teacher yesterday.
3. They have seen this movie already, so they decided to watch something else last weekend.
4. He has lived in New York for five years, but he moved there in 2018.
5. We have known each other since we met at the summer camp in 2020.
6. My brother has learned to play the guitar, and he performed at a concert last month.
7. I have read that book twice, but I first bought it five years ago.
8. She has worked at this company for ten years, but she started her career in another firm.
9. They have eaten at that restaurant many times, but they tried it for the first time last summer.
10. I have lost my keys, so I had to call a locksmith last night.
Answer
Key : Advance Exercise
1. Although
I have already read the article, I did not understand it until I discussed it
with my professor yesterday.
2. She has
achieved a lot in her career, but she faced many challenges when she first started
out.
3. The
company has expanded internationally, but they opened their first office abroad
only last year.
4. We have
had many meetings this week, and we finalized the contract details during the
last one.
5. He has never tried skiing before, so when he went to the Alps last winter, he took
lessons.
6. I have
learned several programming languages, but I focused on Python after I found it
the most useful.
7. The team
has improved their performance significantly, though they lost several
important matches earlier in the season.
8. She has
established her reputation as a leading scientist, but she published her first
groundbreaking paper only five years ago.
9. They have
been friends since they met at university, but they had their first major
disagreement recently.
10. I have
seen him a few times since he moved to our neighborhood, but we have not had a
proper conversation yet.
