PRESENT PERFECT AND PAST SIMPLE

pRESENT PERFECT AND PAST SIMPLE

ÍNDICE

pESENT PERFECT

pAST SIMPLE

pRESENT PERFECT O PAST SIMPLE

vIDEO

pRACTICE

pRESENT PERFECT

We use the present perfect to talk about:

• Experiences in our lifetime or another unfinished time period.

She has worked in many different countries- France, the USA, Japan... Have you ever had a job interview? I've never worked in an office.We can use adverbs like ever, never and three times.

• News and recent events, often with a present result.

The interviews have already finished- you're too late. (result: You can't have an interview.)We've won the contract! (result = Now we have the contract.) She hasn't called me back yet. (result = I'm still waiting to speak to her.) We can use adverbs like already and yet.

pAST sIMPLE

We use the past simple for past actions in a completed past time period:She didn't get the job. The interviews finished five minutes ago. Why did you miss the bus? We can use past time phrases like last week, a few days ago, when I was a child

pRESENT PERFECT OR PAST SIMPLE

We often introduce a topic with the present perfect and then change to the past simple in the next sentence to talk about the details:

• I've had lots of job interviews. The last one was about three months ago. It was terrible.
• I've lost my keys. Maybe I left them on the bus this morning.
• He hasn't worked here very long. He started a few weeks ago.

Don't use the present perfect when you describe an action that happened at a particular time. Use the past simple instead: They left yesterday/at four o'clock/ten minutes ago.

vIDEO

pRACTICE