Present Perfect or Simple Past?

How to choose between the Present Perfect and Simple Past Tenses

• Always use the Present Perfect when the time is not important, or not specified.
• Always use the Simple Past when details about the time or place are specified or asked for.

Compare:

Present Perfect	Simple Past
I have lived in Lyon.	I lived in Lyon in 1989.
They have eaten Thai food.	They ate Thai food last night.
Have you seen 'Othello'?.	Where did you see 'Othello'?
We have been to Ireland.	When did you go to Ireland?

There is also a difference of attitude that is often more important than the time factor.

• "What did you do at school today?" is a question about activities, and considers the school day as finished.
• "What have you done at school today?" is a question about results - "show me", and regards the time of speaking as a continuation of the school day.

Present Perfect Tense

Present Perfect Verb Tense

PRESENT PERFECT

1. Present Perfect - Form

The present perfect of any verb is composed of two elements : the appropriate form of the auxiliary verb to have (present tense), plus the past participle of the main verb. The past participle of a regular verb is base+ed, e.g. played, arrived, looked. For irregular verbs, see theTable of irregular verbs in the section called 'Verbs'.

Affirmative
Subject	to have	past participle
She	has	visited
Negative
Subject	to have + not	past participle
She	hasn't	visited
Which is the best English?
to have	Subject	past participle
Has	she	visited..?
Interrogative negative
to have + not	Subject	past participle
Hasn't	she	visited...?

Example: to walk, present perfect

Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
I have walked	I haven't walked	Have I walked?
You have walked	You haven't walked	Have you walked?
He, she, it has walked	He, she, it hasn't walked	Has he,she,it walked
We have walked	We haven't walked	Have we walked?
You have walked	You haven't walked	Have you walked?
They have walked	They haven't walked	Have they walked?

2. Present perfect, function

The Present Perfect is used to indicate a link between the present and the past. The time of the action is before now but not specified, and we are often more interested in the resultthan in the action itself.

BE CAREFUL! There may be a verb tense in your language with a similar form, but the meaning is probably NOT the same.

The Present Perfect is used to describe:

1. An action or situation that started in the past and continues in the present. Example: I have lived in Bristol since 1984 (= and I still do.)
2. An action performed during a period that has not yet finished. Example: She has been to the cinema twice this week (= and the week isn't over yet.)
3. A repeated action in an unspecified period between the past and now. Example: We have visited Portugal several times.
4. An action that was completed in the very recent past, (expressed by 'just'). Example: I have just finished my work.
5. An action when the time is not important. Example: He has read 'War and Peace'.(the result of his reading is important)

Note: When we want to give or ask details about when, where, who, we use the simple past.Example: He read 'War and Peace' last week.

Examples

1. Actions started in the past and continuing in the present.

• They haven't lived here for years.
• She has worked in the bank for five years.
• We have had the same car for ten years.
• Have you played the piano since you were a child?

2. When the time period referred to has not finished.

• I have worked hard this week.
• It has rained a lot this year.
• We haven't seen her today.

3. Actions repeated in an unspecified period between the past and now.

• They have seen that film six times.
• It has happened several times already.
• She has visited them frequently.
• We have eaten at that restaurant many times.

4. Actions completed in the very recent past (+just).

• Have you just finished work?
• I have just eaten.
• We have just seen her.
• Has he just left?

5. When the precise time of the action is not important or not known.

• Someone has eaten my soup!
• Have you seen 'Gone with the Wind'?
• She's studied Japanese, Russian and English.

Present Continuous Tense

Present Continuous or Present Progressive

Present Continuous or Present Progressive Verb Form

1. Present continuous, form

The present continuous of any verb is composed of two parts - the present tense of the verb to be + the present participle of the main verb.

(The form of the present participle is: base+ing, e.g. talking, playing, moving, smiling)

Affirmative
Subject	+ to be	+ base + ing
she	is	talking
Negative
Subject	+ to be + not	+ base + ing
she	is not (isn't)	talking
Interrogative
to be	+ subject	+ base + ing
is	she	talking?

Examples: to go, present continuous

Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
I am going	I am not going	Am I going?
You are going	You aren't going.	Are you going?
He, she, it is going	He, she, it isn't going	Is he, she, it going?
We are going	We aren't going	Are we going?
You are going	You aren't going	Are you going?
They are going	They aren't going	Are they going?

Note: alternative negative contractions: I'm not going, you're not going, he's not going etc.I'm not going, you're not going, he's not going etc.

2. Present Continuous, function

As with all tenses in English, the speaker's attitude is as important as the time of the action or event. When someone uses the present continuous, they are thinking about something that is unfinished or incomplete.

The present continuous is used:

• to describe an action that is going on at this moment e.g. 

• You are using the Internet. You are studying English grammar.
• to describe an action that is going on during this period of time or a trend, e.g.

• Are you still working for the same company? More and more people are becomingvegetarian.
• to describe an action or event in the future, which has already been planned or prepared (See also 'Ways of expressing the future) e.g. 

• We're going on holiday tomorrow. I'm meeting my boyfriend tonight. Are they visiting you next winter?
• to describe a temporary event or situation, e.g. 

• He usually plays the drums, but he's playing bass guitar tonight. The weather forecast was good, but it's raining at the moment.
• with 'always, forever, constantly', to describe and emphasise a continuing series of repeated actions, e.g. 

• Harry and Sally are always arguing! You're forever complaining about your mother-in-law!

BE CAREFUL! Some verbs are not used in the continuous form - see below.

3. Verbs that are not normally used in the continuous form

The verbs in the list below are normally used in the simple form, because they refer to states, rather than actions or processes:

List of common verbs normally used in simple form:

Senses / Perception

feel*, hear, see*, smell, taste

Opinion

assume, believe, consider, doubt, feel (= think), find (= consider), suppose, think*

Mental states

forget, imagine, know, mean, notice, recognise, remember, understand

Emotions / desires

envy, fear, dislike, hate, hope, like, love, mind, prefer, regret, want, wish

Measurement

contain, cost, hold, measure, weigh

Others

look (=resemble), seem, be (in most cases), have (when it means to possess)*

Notes:

• Perception verbs (see, hear, feel, taste, smell) are often used with can: e.g.

• I can see...
• These verbs may be used in the continuous form but with a different meaning, compare:

• This coat feels nice and warm. (your perception of the coat's qualities)
• John's feeling much better now (his health is improving)
• She has three dogs and a cat. (possession)
• She's having supper. (She's eating)
• I can see Anthony in the garden (perception)
• I'm seeing Anthony later (We are planning to meet)

Examples

• I wish I was in Greece now.
• She wants to see him now.
• I don't understand why he is shouting.
• I feel we are making a mistake.
• This glass holds half a litre.

simple present tense

Verb Tenses: Simple Present

SIMPLE PRESENT

(See also Verbs -'Regular verbs in the simple present')

Simple present, third person singular

Note:

1. he, she, it: in the third person singular the verb always ends in -s:
   he wants, she needs, he gives, she thinks.
2. Negative and question forms use DOES (=the third person of the auxiliary'DO') + the infinitive of the verb.
   He wants. Does he want? He does not want.
3. Verbs ending in -y : the third person changes the -y to -ies:
   fly  flies, cry  cries
   Exception: if there is a vowel before the -y:
   play  plays, pray  prays
4. Add -es to verbs ending in:-ss, -x, -sh, -ch:
   he passes, she catches, he fixes, it pushes

See also Verbs -'Regular verbs in the simple present', and 'Be, do & have'

Examples

1. Third person singular with s or -es

• He goes to school every morning.
• She understands English.
• It mixes the sand and the water.
• He tries very hard.
• She enjoys playing the piano.

2. Simple present, form

Example: to think, present simple

Affirmative	Interrogative	Negative
I think	Do I think ?	I do not think.
You think	Do you think?	You don't think.
he, she, it thinks	Does he, she, it think?	He, she, it doesn't think.
we think	Do we think?	We don't think.
you think	Do you think?	You don't think.

The simple present is used:

1. to express habits, general truths, repeated actions or unchanging situations, emotions and wishes:
   I smoke (habit); I work in London (unchanging situation); London is a large city (general truth)
2. to give instructions or directions:
   You walk for two hundred metres, then you turn left.
3. to express fixed arrangements, present or future:
   Your exam starts at 09.00
4. to express future time, after some conjunctions: after, when, before, as soon as, until:
   He'll give it to you when you come next Saturday.

BE CAREFUL! The simple present is not used to express actions happening now. See Present Continuous.

Examples

1. For habitsHe drinks tea at breakfast.
   She only eats fish.
   They watch television regularly.
2. For repeated actions or eventsWe catch the bus every morning.
   It rains every afternoon in the hot season.
   They drive to Monaco every summer.
3. For general truths
   Water freezes at zero degrees.
   The Earth revolves around the Sun.
   Her mother is Peruvian.
4. For instructions or directionsOpen the packet and pour the contents into hot water.
   You take the No.6 bus to Watney and then the No.10 to Bedford.
5. For fixed arrangementsHis mother arrives tomorrow.
   Our holiday starts on the 26th March
6. With future constructionsShe'll see you before she leaves.
   We'll give it to her when she arrives.