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    Present Perfect and Simple Past

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    Michelle Leony
    The document discusses the uses of the present perfect and past simple tenses. [1] The present perfect is used to talk about unfinished experiences or states that began in the past and continue in the present. [2] It can also show the present result of a past action. [3] The past simple is used to talk about completed actions, repeated actions, or continuous states that were true for a period in the past.

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    Present Perfect and Simple Past

    Uploaded by

    Michelle Leony
    64 views2 pages
    The document discusses the uses of the present perfect and past simple tenses. [1] The present perfect is used to talk about unfinished experiences or states that began in the past and continue in the present. [2] It can also show the present result of a past action. [3] The past simple is used to talk about completed actions, repeated actions, or continuous states that were true for a period in the past.

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    The document discusses the uses of the present perfect and past simple tenses. [1] The present perfect is used to talk about unfinished experiences or states that began in the past and continue in the present. [2] It can also show the present result of a past action. [3] The past simple is used to talk about completed actions, repeated actions, or continuous states that were true for a period in the past.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    64 views2 pages

    Present Perfect and Simple Past

    Uploaded by

    Michelle Leony
    The document discusses the uses of the present perfect and past simple tenses. [1] The present perfect is used to talk about unfinished experiences or states that began in the past and continue in the present. [2] It can also show the present result of a past action. [3] The past simple is used to talk about completed actions, repeated actions, or continuous states that were true for a period in the past.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 2

    Present Perfect and Past Simple

    PRESENT PERFECT

    The present perfect tense has a number of uses.

     A. We use it to talk about experience.

     I’ve worked in 6 different countries.


     Have you ever been to Australia?
     She’s won many awards for her books.

    When these things happened is not important – the focus is on the


    action/state, not when it happened.

    B. We also use the present perfect to talk about things that are
    unfinished – unfinished states and unfinished time periods.

     I’ve known him since I was 11. (unfinished state) I met him
    when I was 11. I still know him now.
     I’ve had this watch for almost thirty years.
     We’ve lived here since I was a boy.
     She’s been to the cinema three times this week. (unfinished time
    period) This week isn’t finished yet – she may go to the cinema
    again.
     We’ve already had two holidays this year.
     I’ve eaten too much today.

    C. A third use of the present perfect is to show the present result of a


    past action

     I’ve lost my keys.( He lost his keys some time in the past but the
    result – he can’t get into his house – is in the present.)
     John’s broken his leg and he can’t go on holiday.
     A storm has blown down the telephone lines. We’re stuck here!
    Past simple

    We use the past tense to talk about:

     something that happened once in the past:

    I met my wife in 1983.


    We went to Spain for our holidays.
    They got home very late last night.

     something that happened again and again in the past:

    When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.


    We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
    They always enjoyed visiting their friends.

     something that was true for some time in the past:

    I lived abroad for ten years.


    He enjoyed being a student.
    She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.

    NB: we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:

    I met my wife a long time ago.

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