Present Perfect and past Simple

1. The Present Perfect always connects the past and the present; the Past Simple tells us only about the past:

We use the Present Perfect to talk about something which started in the past and continues up to the present. I’ve lived in London for ten years. (I still live in London now.) He has worked in a shop for five years. (He still works in the shop now.) How long have you been here? (You are still here now.)	We use the Past Simple to talk about something which started and finished in the past. I lived in Manchester for ten years. (I don’t live in Manchester now.) He worked in a factory for ten years. (He doesn’t work in a factory now.) How long were you there? (You are not there now.)
We also use the Present Perfect when the result of a past action is connected to the present. I’ve lost my wallet. (I haven’t got the wallet now.) We often use the Present Perfect to announce “news”. Someone has stolen my motorbike.	We use the Past Simple when the result of a past action is not connected to the present. I lost my wallet, but I’ve got it back again now. We use the past to give details of the news. I left the bike outside for a few minutes and when I came back, it wasn’t there.

2. When we say a definite past time eg yesterday, last week, six weeks ago, we always use the Past Simple, never the Present Perfect.

I lost my wallet yesterday.

Someone stole my bicycle last week.

We use the Present Perfect to talk about an indefinite time up to the present eg ever, never, recently, lately. Compare:

Present Perfect

Have you ever seen a ghost?

I’ve never been to New York.

I’ve started taking driving lessons recently.

Past Simple

Did you see your friend yesterday?

I went to London last week.

I started taking driving lessons six weeks ago.

In conversations we often begin indefinitely with the Present Perfect, then we use the Past Simple when we think about the definite time that something happened.

“Have you ever been to the United States?” “Yes, I went there in 1985.”

“I’ve seen that film. I enjoyed it very much.”

3. We can use today, this morning, this afternoon, etc:

With the Present Perfect when these periods of time are not finished. I’ve spoken to Peter this morning. (It is still morning.)

With the past when these periods of time are finished. I spoke to Peter this morning. (It is afternoon now, evening or night time.)

4. We normally use a past tense, not the Present Perfect, to ask when something happened.

When did you arrive home last night?

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16