Meaning & use
simple past present perfect
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrasespecialist
The two English past tenses that learners most often mix up: the simple past and the present perfect.
Grammar: Used as a noun phrase naming a grammar topic; it normally takes the definite article: the simple past and the present perfect.
Patterns
- the simple past and the present perfect
- compare the simple past with the present perfect
Our teacher spent the whole lesson on the simple past and the present perfect.
Many students find the simple past and the present perfect hard to tell apart.
The exercise asks you to choose between the simple past and the present perfect in each sentence.
phrasefixed phrasespecialist
The simple past form, used for a finished action at a known past time, such as "I saw him yesterday."
Grammar: This sense focuses on the simple past half of the pair; it usually appears with a past time expression.
Patterns
- the simple past of a verb
- use the simple past with a time expression
Use the simple past when you say exactly when something happened.
In "she called me last night," the verb is in the simple past.
The simple past of "go" is "went."
phrasefixed phrasespecialist
The present perfect form, used for a past action whose result or relevance still matters now, such as "I have lost my keys."
Grammar: This sense focuses on the present perfect half of the pair; it is common with already, yet, ever and since.
Patterns
- the present perfect of a verb
- use the present perfect with since or for
The present perfect often goes with "already," "yet" and "just."
In "I have finished my homework," the verb is in the present perfect.
She has lived here for ten years, so the present perfect fits better than the simple past.
Common combinations
- the simple past and the present perfect
- The simple past and the present perfect are covered in unit three.
- choose between the simple past and the present perfect
- In this test you must choose between the simple past and the present perfect.
- the difference between the simple past and the present perfect
- Can you explain the difference between the simple past and the present perfect?
- the simple past of a verb
- What is the simple past of "teach"?
- the present perfect with "since"
- We practiced the present perfect with "since" and "for."
Synonyms and how they differ
- past tenses
- A wider term covering all past tense forms, not just these two; use it when you are not naming them specifically.
- verb tenses
- An even broader term for all tense forms in a language, so it is less precise than this phrase.
Word family
- simple past phrase
- The tense used for a completed action at a definite past time.
- present perfect phrase
- The tense formed with have/has plus a past participle.
- past participle noun
- The -ed or irregular form used after have/has in the present perfect.
- tense noun
- A verb form that shows when an action happens.
Commonly confused: simple past present perfect or past perfect? simple past present perfect or present perfect continuous?
simple past present perfect vs past perfect
The past perfect (had + past participle) shows which of two past actions happened first; the simple past just states a past fact, and the present perfect links the past to now.
simple past present perfect vs present perfect continuous
The present perfect continuous (have been + -ing) stresses how long an activity has lasted, while the present perfect often stresses the finished result.
Practice
Which sentence correctly uses the present perfect rather than the simple past?
Choose one answer.
"I have seen that film three times" fits the present perfect because it talks about experience up to now with no finished past time. "I saw that film last week" is fine English but is the simple past, and the other two wrongly attach a finished past time (last week, yesterday) to the present perfect.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “simple past present perfect”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.