Simple Past or Present Perfect Simple Form Simple Past

Present Perfect Simple

irregular verbs: see 2nd column of irregular verbs

irregular verbs: form of 'have' + 3rd column of irregular

Example: I spoke

verbs

regular verbs: infinitive + ed

regular verbs: form of 'have' + infinitive + ed

Example: I worked

Example: I / you / we / they have worked he / she / it has worked

Example: I / you / we / they have spoken he / she / it has spoken

Exceptions Exceptions when adding 'ed': 

when the final letter is e, only add d Example: love - loved



after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled Example: admit - admitted



final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English) Example: travel - travelled

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after a consonant, final y becomes i (but: not after a vowel) Example: worry - worried but: play – played

Use

In British English, the use of Simple Past and Present Perfect is quite strict. As soon as a time expression in the past is given, you have to use Simple Past. If there are no signal words, you must decide if we just talk about an action in the past or if its consequence in the present is important.

Certain time in the past or just / already / yet? Do you want to express that an action happened at a certain time in the past (even if it was just a few seconds ago) or that an action has just / already /not yet happened?

Simple Past

Present Perfect Simple

certain time in the past

just / already / not yet

Example: I phoned Mary 2 minutes ago.

Example: I have just phoned Mary.

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Certain event in the past or how often so far? Do you want to express when a certain action took place or whether / how often an action has happened till now?

Simple Past

Present Perfect Simple

certain event in the past

whether / how often till now

Example: He went to Canada last summer.

Example: Have you ever been to Canada? / I have been to Canada twice.

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Emphasis on action or result?

Do you just want to express what happened in the past? Or do you want to emphasise the result (a past action's consequence in the present)?

Simple Past

Present Perfect Simple

Emphasis on action

Emphasis on result

Example: I bought a new bike. (just telling what I did in the past.)

Example: I have bought a new bike. (With this sentence I actually want to express that I have a new bike now.)

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Signal Words Simple Past

Present Perfect Simple



yesterday



just

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... ago



already

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in 1990

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up to now



the other day

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until now / till now

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last ...



ever



(not) yet

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so far

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lately / recently

Simple Past or Present Perfect Simple Exercise 1 Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple). 1. Mother: I want to prepare dinner. (you / wash) ____________________ the dishes yet? 2. Daughter: I (wash) ____________________ the dishes yesterday, but I (have / not) ____________________ the time yet to do it today. 3. Mother: (you / do / already) ____________________ your homework? 4. Daughter: No, I (come / just) ____________________ home from school. 5. Mother: You (come) ____________________ home from school two hours ago! 6. Daughter: Well, but my friend Lucy (call) ____________________ when I (arrive) ____________________ and I (finish / just) ____________________ the phone call. 7. Mother: (you / see / not) ____________________ Lucy at school in the morning? 8. Daughter: Yes, but we (have / not) ____________________ time to talk then.

Exercise 2 Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple). 1. A: I (cycle / just) ___________________ 50 km. 2. B: I (cycle) ___________________ 100 km last week. 3. A: I (write) ___________________ an essay yesterday. 4. B: I (write / already) ___________________ two essays this term. 5. A: I (ring / just) ___________________ my friend. 6. B: I (ring) ___________________ my friend 10 minutes ago. 7. A: Two days ago, I (watch) ___________________ a Madonna concert on TV. 8. B: I (see / already) ___________________ Madonna live in concert. 9. A: I (spend) ___________________ my summer holiday in Australia last year. 10. B: I (be / not) ___________________ to Australia yet.

Exercise 3 Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple). 1. A: (you / be / ever) ___________________ to London? 2. B: Yes, I (be) ___________________ there three times. 3. A: When (be) ___________________ the last time you (be) ___________________ there?

4. B: Last summer. I (spend) ___________________ two weeks in Brighton with my parents and we (go) ___________________ to London one weekend. 5. (you / like) ___________________ it? 6. Oh yes. We really (have) ___________________ a great time in London. 7. Lucky you! I (be / never) ___________________ to London.

Exercise 4 Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple). 1. A: (you / try / ever) ___________________ haggis? 2. B: Oh, yes! 3. A: How often (you / eat) ___________________ haggis yet? 4. B: Two times exactly. 5. A: When (you / eat / first) ___________________ haggis? 6. B: That (be) ___________________ in 2005. We (have) ___________________ a Scottish festival in our town and they also (sell) ___________________ traditional Scottish food. So I (buy) ___________________ haggis. 7. A: (you / like) ______________________________________ it? 8. B: It (be / not) ___________________ too bad. And I (know / not) ___________________ anything about haggis then. 9. A: When (you / find out) ______________________________________? 10. B: When I (be) ___________________ in Scotland in 2007. I (go) ___________________ to a restaurant and (order) ___________________ haggis. Afterwards, the waiter (tell) ___________________ me about haggis: it's the heart, liver and lungs of a sheep, boiled in the animal's stomach. Well, I (eat / never) ___________________ haggis again since then.

Exercise 6 Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple). 1. Yesterday, my brother (come) ___________________ home from school, (switch) ___________________ on the TV and (watch) ___________________ TV until dinner (be) ___________________ ready. 2. Oh no, it's raining and I (leave) ___________________ my umbrella at home. 3. Look! There is so much food left. Nobody (eat) ___________________ anything. 4. Where (you / be) ___________________ yesterday? - I (go) ___________________ to the shopping centre and (buy) ___________________ a new computer game. 5. Why don't you want to play football with us this weekend? - I (break) ___________________ my leg. 6. The road is closed. There (be) ___________________ an accident.

7. I (have) ___________________ an accident when I (be) ___________________ in Manchester last year. 8. Come on, let's celebrate! Our team (win) ___________________ the match.

Exercise 7 Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple). 1. A: (you / play / already) ______________________________________ the new computer game? 2. B: No, not yet. I only (buy) ___________________ it yesterday and I (have / not) ___________________ the time yet. 3. A: (you / go) ___________________ to the cinema last night? 4. B: Yes. I (be) ___________________ there with Sue and Louis. (you / be) ___________________ to the cinema recently? 5. A: I last (go) ___________________ to the cinema two weeks ago. 6. B: So you (see / not) ___________________ the new action film yet. 7. A: No, unfortunately not. (you / enjoy) ___________________ it? 8. B: Oh, I really (love) ___________________ it. But Sue (like / not) ___________________ it - too much action! 9. A: But why (you / take) ___________________ her with you? She (tell) ___________________ me last week that she (hate) ___________________ action films. 10. B: I think she has an eye on Louis. She (try) ___________________ to flirt with him all the time. So he (can / concentrate / not) ___________________ on the film.

Exercise 8 Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple). 1. I (just / finish) ___________________ my homework. 2. Mary (already / write) ___________________ five letters. 3. Tom (move) ___________________ to this town in 1994. 4. My friend (be) ___________________ in Canada two years ago. 5. I (not / be) ___________________ to Canada so far. 6. But I (already / travel) _______________________________ _______ to London a couple of times. 7. Last week, Mary and Paul (go) ___________________ to the cinema. 8. I can't take any pictures because I (not / buy) ___________________ a new film yet. 9. (they / spend) ______________________________________ their holiday in New Zealand last summer?

10. (you / ever / see) ______________________________________ a whale?