Learn English about: Simple Past VS Present Perfect

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if you need to review the simple past click up there for a video by Sarah

where she teaches all about the simple past we also have a free ebook that you

can get by clicking the link in the description click the link and you can

get a free English learning ebook these two tenses can be confusing for English

learners first let's have a look at our past irregular verbs as you can see on

the left side we have the present verbs then the simple past verbs and the past

participle which we can use for present perfect tense we use simple past verb to

make sentences about finished actions that happened in the past for example I

saw my friend yesterday my friend came to my house her mom didn't come with her

we use half and Hanna's plus the past participle verb to make sentences in the

present perfect tense for example I have been to Japan he has not met Sara I have

lived in Korea for 10 years now we can use the simple past and the present

perfect tense to talk about the past with no specified time so if we don't

talk about a time in the past we can use either one to talk about the past let's

look at some examples did you go to India I went to India have you been to

India I have been to India we cannot use the present perfect to talk about a

specified time for example I went to America in 2007 this sentence is correct

and it is simple past tense let's look at a question

did you go to American 2007 again simple past tense and correct now let's look at

a few more sentences I have been to America in 2007 that is not correct but

you can't say I have been to America because you don't mention the time that

is present perfect so we can't mention the time I have been to America and

sometime in the past I have been to America have you been to China in 2007

that is incorrect have you been to China this means at any time in the past have

you been to China if you need to use a specific time in the past you should use

the simple past tense not the present perfect example I met him last year when

did you meet him I met him last year we can use the present perfect tense to

talk about life experiences or recent experiences here are some examples of

sentences and questions that are talking about life experiences I have been to

America I have been to America before she has tried sushi have you been to

America have you been to America before here are some examples of sentences and

questions that are about recent experiences she called us four days ago

when did she call you she called us four days ago we got together last night we

got together last night when did you get together we got together last night we

use the present perfect to talk about past experiences time is not important

for present perfect I have tried pizza have you tried pizza

I have tried pizza at some time in the past I have tried pizza the time doesn't

matter when doesn't matter she has visited many countries has she

visited many countries she has visited many countries they have been here

before have they been here before they have been here before remember we

cannot use a specific time with the present perfect tense but we can tell

how many times for example how many times have you been to Brazil I have

been to Brazil three times how many times has she been surfing

she has been surfing many times we have gone camping twice we can also tell the

number times with simple past tense sentences we usually do this when we are

telling the number of times and a specific time so for example I visited

New Zealand two times in 2015 so we say how many times and the specific time two

times in 2015 let's try another example she called

three times while you were in the shower how many times three witnessed a

specific time when you were in the shower we went to that restaurant four

times last week how many times four times when it's the specific time last

week so that's how we can tell the number of times using the simple past

tense we can use the present perfect tense to talk about life experiences or

recent experiences here are some examples of sentences and questions that

are talking about life experiences have you traveled recently have you seen any

good movies recently I have been to Korea recently she hasn't been here

lately we can use words like recently and lately to show we're talking about

recent experiences we also use the present perfect tense to talk about

things in actions that started in the past

and continue to the present the actions are still happening now this is very

different from simple past tense because the simple past tense only talks about

things that have already finished in the past we use four plus total time and

since plus starting time with these sentences to show how long the action

continued here's some examples I have lived in Korea for ten years for ten

years total I still live in Korea she has played the piano since 2005 she

started playing the piano in 2005 she still plays the piano now so in that

sentence she started playing piano in the past and it continues till now she's

still playing piano we have known each other since high school we met in high

school and we still know each other I have studied English for a long time

we can use the present perfect tense and two ways to talk about experiences or to

talk about things that started in the past but are still continuing now the

easiest and best way to tell the difference is to look for the words for

and sense okay let's have a look at the difference between these sentences I

have lived in Korea this is a life experience this sentence is talking

about a life experience it means I have experience living in Korea but I don't

live in Korea anymore so now I don't live in Korea this sentence is the same

as saying I lived in Korea so I have lived in Korea and I lived in Korea have

the same meaning but let's look at these perfect present sentences

I have lived in Korea for ten years that is an unfinished action I have lived in

Korea since 2007 also in unfinished action the words foreign cents tell us

that it's an unfinished action that means that I still live in Korea now

okay good job so far let's review the simple past tense and

the present perfect tense can both be used to talk about things that happen in

the past the difference is that we can use a specific time with a simple past

tense but we cannot use a specific time with the present perfect tense if there

is no specific time then we can use either one they have the same basic

meaning for example I went there I have been there those two sentences mean the

same thing we can also use the present perfect tense to talk about unfinished

actions actions that started in the past and continued into the present we use

the words for and cents with these sentences I have lived here for many

years I have known her since high school remember if you want to use the simple

past tense which means an action completed at a specific point in the

past a time element is often included words like yesterday a year ago last

week last weekend if you need to review the simple past tense click up there to

watch a video all about the simple past tense also remember if you want a free

English learning ebook click the link in the description it says free ebook

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