The document compares and contrasts the present perfect and past simple tenses in English. It provides examples of their usage, noting that the present perfect is used to talk about unfinished or ongoing actions or situations, while the past simple is used to talk about specific past events and actions where the time is stated. Key adverbs like 'ever', 'never', 'already' and 'yet' are used differently with each tense.

1. Present Perfect vs.
Past Simple

2. Present Perfect
Verb To See
AFFIRMATIVE
I have seen
You have seen
He/ she/ it has seen
We have seen
You have seen
They have seen
I saw
You saw
He/ she/ it saw
We saw
You saw
They saw
Past Simple
subject Have/ has Past participle
Subject Past Simple - list

3. Present Perfect
Verb To See
NEGATIVE
I haven’t seen
You haven’t seen
He/ she/ it hasn’t seen
We haven’t seen
You haven’t seen
They haven’t seen
I didn’t see
You didn’t see
He/ she/ it didn’t see
We didn’t see
You didn’t see
They didn’t see
Past Simple
subject Have/ has +not Past participle Subject Didn’t Infinitive

4. Present Perfect
Verb To See
INTERROGATIVE
have I seen
have you seen
has He/ she/ it seen
have We seen
have you seen
have they seen
Did I see
Did You see
Did He/ she/ it see
Did We see
Did You see
Did They see
Past Simple
Have/ has subject Past participle Did Subject Infinitive

5. Present
perfect
Past
simple

6. We don’t say
exactly when
the action
happened.
Present Perfect
We say exactly
when the
action
happened.
Past simple

7. PRESENT PERFECT
• I have been to London
but I haven’t been to
Oxford.
(past experience)
• I’ve cut my finger.
(recent past action)
• They have been married
for 20 years.
(unfinished states)
PAST SIMPLE
• I was in London last
summer.
(on one specific ocasion)
• I cut my finger last night.
(I say when)
• He was married to Jane
3 years.
(he is not married now)

8. With the present
perfect, we talk
about the present
results or the
effects of the past
actions.
Present Perfect Past simple
With the past
simple, we talk
about what
happened in the
past.

9. Present Perfect
Ever
Never
Just
Already
Yet
Since
For
When we ask or talk about past experiences. They go
before the main verb.
Have you ever been to Italy?/I’ve never been to Italy.
Just and already go before the main verb in
+ sentences, yet goes at the ende of
-sentences and ?
With a point of time: since 2004
With a period of time: for two weeks

10. Past simple
Yesterday
Last week/month/year/lesson
3 years ago
1997