Past simple VS present perfect

Past simple VS present perfect

Quick guide to understand the structure and the differences in use.

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Contents

Here's everything you need to know!

Uses

Past simple

Present perfect

Present perfect: problematic aspects

Exercises

Past simple

How do we form the past simple?

When we talk about the past simple, we need to differentiate regular and irregular verbs.

Regular

Irregular

See affirmative, negative and question forms

Past simple

Affirmative form

The structure in the affirmative form is the same as in the present simple, but the verb is going to be in the past simple form. Please, make sure that the verb is regular or irregular before using it. Subject + Verb (past simple) + Complements

Negative form

To make the negative form, we need the auxiliary verb 'do' in the past form in negative (didn't) before the main verb in infinitive. Subject + didn't + Verb (infinitive) + Complements

Question form

To make the question form, we need the auxiliary verb 'do' in the past form (did) at the beginning of the sentence, before the subject. The main verb will be placed after the subject in the infinitive form. Did + Subject + Verb (infinitive) + Complements?

Regular and irregular verbs

Past simple: regular verbs

Exceptions:

How is it formed?

Verbs ending in -e: we only add -d at the end

As a general rule, to form the past simple, we add -ed at the end of the verb in infinitive: Start - started Play - played Jump - jumped

Verbs ending in vowel + consonant: we double the last consonant

Verbs ending in consonant + y: we change the -y into an -i

Check out the pronunciation here:

If there's a vowel before the -y, we don't change anything!

Irregular

Past simple: irregular verbs

Download the full list here:

Many verbs are irregular. The verb form is the same for all persons (I, you, she, he, it, we, they), and we make questions and negatives with irregular verbs in the same ways as for regular verbs.

Regular

Present perfect

Affirmative form

To make the affirmative we need to use the verb 'to have' in the present simple form as an auxiliary verb followed by the past participle form of the main verb. Be careful! The past participle may be regular or irregular. Subject + have/has + Verb (past participle) + Complements

Negative form

To make the negative form, we need the auxiliary verb 'do' in the past form in negative (didn't) before the main verb in infinitive. Subject + haven't/hasn't + Verb (past participle) + Complements

Question form

To make the question form, we need the auxiliary verb 'do' in the past form (did) at the beginning of the sentence, before the subject. The main verb will be placed after the subject in the infinitive form. Have/has + Subject + Verb (past participle) + Complements?

Past participles

Present perfect: past participles

See the full list here:

Past participles, as the past simple forms, can be regular or irregular. Regular past participles are formed the same way as the past simple forms (adding -ed at the end). Irregular verbs are the third column of the irregular verbs list, and you need to learn them by heart.

Regular past participles

Irregular past participles

Present perfect: problematic aspects

Some expressions used with the present perfect may be confusing for the student. Let's have a look at them: We use for with a period of time in the past, present or future. We use since with a point in time in the past. We use already to refer to something which has happened or may have happened before the moment of speaking. We use yet most commonly in questions and negatives, to talk about things which are expected but which have not happened.

More info

When to use for or since

More info

When to use already or yet

Uses

Here are the difference in the uses of the past simple and the present perfect.

Present perfect

Past simple

We use the present perfect to talk about time up to now, that is, events that took place in the past but which connect with the present. The present perfect is often used with time expressions which indicate time up to now, for example today, this year, in the last six months. I haven’t talked to the client since his last visit.

We use the past simple to refer to definite time in the past (when we specify the time or how long) and usually with past time expressions such as yesterday, two weeks ago, last year, in 1995. We sent the confirmation email yesterday.

Info on the uses

Exercises

Here are some exercises so you can practise the difference between the past simple and the present perfect!

Question form

Have you sent the email yesterday? Has he stored the merchandise in the morning? Has she visited the warehouse two weeks ago? Has it made any sense to send the container so early? Have we made an exception with the payment conditions? Have you delivered the pallets on time? Have they used RFID to locate the truck on the road?

Negative form

I haven't sent the email. You haven't checked the email. He hasn't stored the merchandise. She hasn't visited the warehouse. It hasn't been two weeks since I sent you the email. We haven't made an exception with the payment conditions. You haven't delivered the pallets on time. They haven't used RFID to locate the truck on the road.

Affirmative form

I sent the email yesterday. You checked the email when it was too late. He stored the merchandise in the morning. She visited the warehouse two weeks ago. It was too late to change the details of your invoice. We made an exception with the payment conditions. You delivered the pallets on time. They used RFID to locate the truck on the road.

Negative form

I didn’t send the email yesterday. You didn’t check the email on time. He didn’t store the merchandise in the morning. She didn’t visit the warehouse two weeks ago. It didn’t make any sense to send the container so early. We didn’t make an exception with the payment conditions. You didn’t deliver the pallets on time. They didn’t use RFID to locate the truck on the road.

Affirmative form

I have sent the email. You have checked the email. He has stored the merchandise. She has visited the warehouse. It has been two weeks since I sent you the email. We have made an exception with the payment conditions. You have delivered the pallets on time. They have used RFID to locate the truck on the road.

Question form

Did you send the email yesterday? Did he store the merchandise in the morning? Did she visit the warehouse two weeks ago? Did it make any sense to send the container so early? Did we make an exception with the payment conditions? Did you deliver the pallets on time? Did they use RFID to locate the truck on the road?

Time expressions

Expressions used with the past simple

• Ago
• In + year
• In + month
• At + celebration (Christmas, Easter...)
• Last + week/month/year
• Last/first time
• After
• Yesterday
• Before
• When

Time expressions

Expressions used with the present perfect

• Ever
• Yet
• Already
• So far
• Until/just/right now
• Recently
• Lately
• For
• Since

• Over the last weeks
• These few weeks/months
• Right now
• How long...?
• Have you ever...?

Already or yet

AlreadyS + have/has + already + past participle + complements

• I have already contacted the supplier.

Yet S + haven't/hasn't + past participle + complements + yet

• I haven't created the pallet yet.

Have/has + S + past participle + complements + yet ?

• Have you crated the pallet yet?

For or since?

For or since?

For or since?