English Grammar - Past Simple & Present Perfect

I've read this article before. I swear I've read this article before.

Hi, James, david.com. I'm just looking at this article and I'm trying to think, "Have

I read this before?" And then I thought, "Yes, I read it yesterday." What's the difference?

Let's take a look. Let's go to the board. So, I said, "I read the article." And then

I said, "I've," that is, "I have read the article." Now, if you look there, I've written

two things on the board. Number one, I read the article. Number two, I've read the article.

But you're probably saying to yourself, "So what?" Well, one, well, actually, when we

look at it, the past and the present perfect, which is what I've read on the board, can

have different meanings. Sometimes they mean the exact same. In this case, there's not

really much of a difference. I've read the article. I've read the article. But sometimes

we can use them to demonstrate two things that I want to point out to you today. So

let's go to the board and take a look. Let's start with, "I read the article." Now, I kind

of made a mistake. Because I should have done when I put this, "I read the article yesterday."

Okay? "I read the article yesterday" gives you a specific time. And that's one of the

uses of the simple past. When we talk or use the simple past, we actually have two uses

for it. Number one is to tell you something at a specific time. Or number two, to tell

you that you've completed something. Okay? Now, when we use the present perfect, it also

has a couple of jobs. So let's make a change or two to the board. Okay? So I'm going to

take "I" and I'm going to make it "I've." Okay? "I've" or "I have." That's the contraction.

Now, here's the problem. I can't say, "I've read the article yesterday." That doesn't

make any sense. Not in the present perfect sense. So, first of all, we have to get rid

of this. And we have to get rid of this. By saying, "I've read the article," we're using

the present perfect tense. Now, let's go back. What is the present perfect? Well, the present

perfect is something in the past has an effect on something now. Right? Something here in

the past has an effect on something here in the present. Okay? So, what does this mean

for us? Well, I've read the article. Well, I'm saying somewhere here, I read it, but

I'm telling you about it now. I'm not giving you a specific time. And a lot of times when

we do this, we're saying something happened in the past, but it has an effect now. We're

not giving a specific time. We're just letting you know it's occurred. Okay? So, the difference

between the two is, if I say, "I read in the past," simple past. I was going to write pimple

past. Sorry. Simple past. I have to be specific. So, we can use the S and the S to remind me

if I want to talk about the simple past, I should be specific. I read the book yesterday.

I saw the man two hours ago. I ate dinner at five o'clock. Okay? Now, when we use the

present perfect, we just want to say something happened in the past, but we don't have to

give a specific time. It's going to lead to two simple rules I'm going to put up. Good.

So, we've got that up on the board. I'm sure you got that right. But let's make it simple.

This is way too complicated. This is not math. Alright? So, here we go. Let's not make it

like math. Because today's lesson was basically, what was it? Well, why do we use either the

present perfect or versus, if you're a soccer fan like me, simple past. Now, I gave you

all that big verbiage or a lot of words explaining why. I'm going to make it simple, real simple.

You won't forget. Promise. Present perfect, we can say for how long. That's it. How long.

Or, how many times. Simple past, specifically, when. See, I use that word specific, specific.

Remember? S, simple, specific. Sorry, just a joke, small joke. Okay, but specific time,

when, because when you need a time. Two o'clock, three o'clock, one, yesterday, six months

from now. Okay? So, we use that for the simple past. But if we want to talk about how long

we've done something, or how many times, and we're not being specific, then use the present

perfect. Cool? Thought you'd like that. Anyway, now you know why you use them. Now you'll

know when to use them, and you'll also know something else, because I want you to come

back to this very special place, so we're going to have this very special time, but

maybe not here, but you'll come to, try this, w, w, w dot, ing as in English, vid as in

video, and dot com. Okay? And, I'll see you there. Okay? Don't forget. Simple past is

what? What do we use it for? Yeah? Present perfect what? There. Now you know more than

all the English people in the world. I'm joking. Anyway, see you at ingvic.com. Ciao.