Lesson: Past Simple vs. Present Perfect Tense

 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.