Simple Past Vs Present Perfect Tense

The Past Simple

The past simple (also called the simple past), as the name suggests, is the tense we use to talk about any action or event that has already happened.

Moreover, we use this tense when we know the exact or specific details of the time of the event (such as yesterday, the previous winter, last year, five hours ago and so on). In other words, the event is already over and finished.

Here are some examples:

I wrote a few lines of the story in my notebook last week.

He went on an exchange program two years ago. 

She ate the entire pie yesterday.

I talked to Maria on the phone five minutes ago.

In each example, the action was finished within a certain time frame. In short, the simple past is used when talk about events that already finished.

We may also use this tense when we want to focus on telling people about the action.

Here are two examples:

We danced a lot at the party.

I walked home from school.

In both cases, the focus is on telling of the action (“dancing a lot,” “walking home”) that took place in the past and not on the results or consequences of the action. We’re just talking about an event in the past and aren’t discussing the possible effects of it.

If you’re still confused, no worries. This point will become clearer once we get to present perfect.

To sum up, we use the simple past to refer to an event or an action that took place in “finished time” or to simply focus on talking about the action itself.

Verb Forms to Use with the Past Simple: V2

Let’s take a regular verb like to walk and an irregular verb like to eat, for example.

She walked home from the party. (We added an “-ed” to “walk”)

He ate a pizza for dinner. (“Eat” changes to “ate”)

The Present Perfect

Have/has + past participle verb (V3)

have : used for subject I, You, They, We

has: used for subject She, He, It

Common adverbs in the present perfect: before, after, already, yet, for, since, recently, still, time

Ex: I have already eaten.

Ex: I have already visited Angola three times.

Ex: I have proven her theory.

Ex: She has gotten promoted.