Present Perfect Vs Past Simple

Slide 1: Us a g e s

Slide 2:  S h e ila h a s jo in e d th e S ie rra C lu b .  S h e ila jo in e d th e S ie rra C lu b . Th e u s e o f th e p re s e n t p e rfe c t h a s m o re to d o with ou r p re s e n t p e rs p e c tive o n th e e ve nt ra th e r th a n o n th e a c tu a l tim e a t wh ic h it to ok p la c e .

Slide 3:  Th e s im p le p a s t te n s e o c c u rs with s pe c ific pas t-time adve rbials . Th e c o re me aning o f th e p a s t te ns e is re mo te ne s s . Th e u s e o f s p e c ific pa s t- tim e a dve rb ia ls (e .g ., yesterday, last year, 1990) m a ke s th e p a s t te n s e o blig ato ry. Th e u s e o f c e rta in m ore g e n e ra l te m p o ra l a d ve rb ia ls is c o m m o nly a s s o c ia te d with th e p e rfe c t (e .g ., already, since, yet).

Slide 4:  Org a n is e th e p h ra s e s in th e n e xt s lide in to th re e c o lu m n s h e a d e d used with simple past, used with present perfect a n d used with either.

Slide 5: During In the las t Up to no w Ke nne dy’s c e ntury life time Ove r the las t Fo r thre e Thre e mo nths hundre d ye ars mo nths ag o or s o S inc e thre e This is the firs t Re c e ntly mo nths ag o time I Thro ug ho ut the S inc e the Late ly 17 th c e ntury Vie tnam War Afte r the Within the las t To day S e c o nd Wo rld thre e mo nths War

Slide 6:  In th e la s t c e n tu ry  d u rin g Ke n n e d y’s life tim e  Th re e m o n th s a g o  Th ro u g h ou t th e 1 7 th c e n tu ry

Slide 7:  Up to no w  Ove r th e la s t h u nd re d ye a rs o r s o  S in c e th re e m o nth s a g o  Th is is th e firs t tim e I  La te ly  S in c e th e Vie tn a m Wa r  With in th e la s t th re e m on th s

Slide 8:  F o r th re e m o n th s  R e c e n tly  To da y  Afte r th e S e c o n d Wo rld Wa r

Slide 9:  E ve n if a pa s t-time a dve rbia l is n’t e xplic it, th e re mote ne s s ma y b e de fine d e ls e wh e re in th e c onte xt or s im ply implie d:  J o h n Le n n o n wa s a c re a tive g e n ius .

Slide 10:  Th e p a s t te ns e is u s e d fo r a c o m p le te d h is to ric a l p e rio d ve rs us a n in c o m p le te one :  My fa th e r live d h e re a ll h is life .  My fa th e r h a s live d h e re a ll h is life .

Slide 11:  Th e func tion of th e pre s e nt pe rfe c t is to c h a ng e th e na ture of th e re la tions h ip b e twe e n th e s ub je c t a nd pre dic a te – it e mph a s iz e s th e pre dic a te d e ve nt’s re s ult.  I’ve b e e n to J a p a n twic e a lre a d y, b u t I s till d on ’t s p e a k m uc h J a pa n e s e .

Slide 12:  Pas t s imple is us e d b y s pe a ke rs to ta lk a b ou t p a s t e ve n ts wh ic h a re , o r wh ic h th e y re g a rd a s , fina lis e d , or o ve r and do ne with.  Pre s e nt pe rfe c t is us e d b y s p e a ke rs to ta lk a b o ut e ve n ts wh ic h a re s till c urre nt, o r wh ic h th e y wa nt to h ig h lig h t a s b e in g inc o mple te o r s till re le vant.