This document provides information about using the present perfect tense in English to talk about past experiences or actions that have relevance to the present. It discusses using the present perfect with words like ever, yet, already to discuss experiences, unfinished states from the past continuing to now, recent past actions, and periods of time. It contrasts the present perfect tense, which is used for unfinished time periods or those relevant now, with the simple past tense, which indicates completed or finished time periods solely in the past.

1. Differences
Upper-intermediate

2.  Generally speaking, to talk about something that
started in the past and continues in the present or
has consequences in the present.
 For past experiences (often with ever/ never, which
always go before the main verb):
Ex.: Have you ever cheated in an exam?
Ex.: I haven’t been to London.
 With yet (at the end of the sentence) and already
(before the main verb) for emphasis:
Ex.: I’ve already done my homework.
Ex.: Have you done your homework yet?
Ex.: I haven’t done my homework yet.

3.  Ongoing situations:unfinished states (non-
action verbs) which start in the past and are
still true in the present:
Ex.: We’ve been married for 50 years.
 Recent past actions, often with just (which
goes before the main verb)
Ex.: I’ve cut my finger. It’s bleeding.
(normally with consequences in the present)
Ex.: I’ve just finished my homework.

4.  How long: To ask about an unfinished period
of time (from the past until now):
Ex.: How long have you known each other?
 For: for a period of time:
Ex.: We’ve known each other for 15 years.
 Since: for the starting point in the past:
Ex.: We’ve known each other since 2005/
since we were at school.

5.  Avoid Spanglish:
 SPANISH: Llevamos dos años casados/Nos
conocemos desde hace dos años.
 ENGLISH: We’ve been married for two
years/We’ve known each other for two years.
 Since cannot be used with ago. Ago is always
used with a past tense:
 Ex.: We got married five years ago, in 2007.

6.  The simple past is used for finished actions in the past, with no
connection to the present. We normally use a past time
expression:
Ex: We went to London last summer/in 2011.
 BUT with no past expression:
Ex.: We’ve been to London twice (up to now, we could go back
there in the future).
 Simple past: always finished actions:
Ex.: We were married for 10 years (we aren’t married now BUT:
We’ve been married for 10 years (We are still married now).
 Simple past: I say when:
 Ex.: I cut my finger at work yesterday. BUT
 I’ve cut my finger (I don’t say when, we understand it’s recent).

7.  Present perfect: just already, yet, ever,
recently, lately, since, so far, up to now, over
the last year, still
 Past simple: yesterday, ago, last week, month,
etc., on Thursday, with dates, when I was a
child, etc.
 Both: depending on whether the period of time
is finished (or perceived as finished) or not: this
morning (it’s still morning or it’s already
afternoon) or the context or the implications in
the present: never, for, always, etc.:
 Ex: I was always late for the English class last
year/I’ve always liked English.