1. The Present Perfect Tense
and the Simple Past Tense
Understand the differences between
these two tenses.

2. Simple past tense
• Form of Simple Past
Positive Negative Question
I spoke. I did not speak. Did you speak?
You studied. you did not study. Did you study?
Maria wrote Maria did not write Did Maria write?
Juan flew Juan did not fly Did Juan fly?
Wh – questions:
What? Who? How?
Where? Which? Why?

3. • Use of Simple Past
• Action in the past taking place once, never or several times
Example: He visited his parents last weekend.
• Actions in the past taking place one after the other
Example: He came in, took off his coat and sat down.
• Action in the past taking place in the middle of another action
Example: When I was having breakfast, the phone suddenly
rang.
• Some clue words to identify Simple Past:
yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the other day, last Friday

4. Present perfect tense
• Form of Present Perfect
Positive Negative Question
I have spoken. I have not spoken. Have I spoken?
He has spoken. He has not spoken. Has he spoken?
You have said. You have not said. Have you said?
She has left. She has not left. Has she left?
Wh – questions:
What? Why? Which?
Where? How? Who?

5. • Use of Present Perfect
• Puts emphasis on the result
Example: She has written five letters.
• Action that is still going on
Example: School has not started yet.
• Action that stopped recently
Example: She has cooked dinner.
• Finished action that has an influence on the present
Example: I have lost my key.
• Action that has taken place once, never or several times before the
moment of speaking
Example: I have never been to Australia.
• Some clue words to identify Present Perfect
already, ever, just, never, not yet, so far, till now, up to now

6. Understand the differences between these two tenses.
The present perfect is used when The simple past is used when the
the time period has NOT finished: time period HAS finished:
• I have seen three movies • I saw three movies last
this week. week.
(This week has not finished (Last week has finished.)
yet.)
The present perfect is often used The simple past is used when
when giving recent news: giving older information:
• Martin has crashed his • Martin crashed his car
car again. last year.
(This is new information.) (This is old information.)

7. The present perfect is used with for The simple past is used with for and
and since, when the actions have since, when the actions have
not finished yet: already finished:
• I have lived in Victoria for • I lived in Victoria for five
five years. years.
(I still live in Victoria.) (I don't live in Victoria now.)
The present perfect is used when The simple past is used when
the time is not specific: the time is clear:
• I have already seen • I saw that movie on Thursday.
that movie (We know exactly when.)
(We don't know when.)

8. :-)
X
:-)
Exercises
I Choose the correct verb, into past simple or present perfect
1 Joji in Has lived Tokyo for five years, but he left in 1993.
has lived / lived
2 The Titanic sank in 1912. sank / has sunk
3 Somebody has stolen my bicycle! Now I'll have to walk home.
has stolen / stole
4 Gerry Has fallen off his bike three times this month. has fallen /
fell
5 Chika graduated from university last July. Graduated / has
graduated
6 I Have seen the movie Titanic three times. I'm going to see it
again tonight. have seen / saw
7 I Have walked to work every day for the last six weeks! have
walked / walked
8 When Young Hee was a child, she lived in Seoul. Lived /has
lived
9 Ouch! I’ve cut my finger! I've cut / cut