Time past simple or present perfect. Difference between Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous: rules and examples

For English language learners, the difference between Present Perfect and Past Simple has been and remains one of the most common difficulties in mastering tenses. English verb. Let's discuss the difference between these two crucial times.

In Russian grammar, for example, such opposition does not exist. Using Present Perfect instead of Past Simple conversely, students make mistakes due to the fact that both tenses express a past action that ended before the present moment. In Russian, in such situations, the past tense of the perfect verb is used. For example:

Vasya was born in 1990.
Vasya was born in a local hospital.

Vasya went to school in 1996.
Vasya went to school.

Yesterday Vasya ate the whole cake.
Vasya ate the whole cake.

For our brother, all verbs are in the past tense. After all, in the Russian language the emphasis is on the fact that the action has already happened!

IN English it is very important to indicate the completion or incompleteness of the action, as well as the relation of the action to the present moment (whether the result of the action exists or not).

Let's take another look at our examples from the point of view of an English-speaking interlocutor:

Vasya was born in 1990. = Completed action in the past, indicating exactly when the action took place (1990).
Vasya was born in a local hospital. = Result: maybe Vasya is only 2 days old and is being taken home today.

Vasya went to school in 1996.= A completed action in the past, indicating exactly when the action occurred (1996).
Vasya went to school.= Result: Vasya is a schoolboy.

Yesterday Vasya ate the whole cake. = Completed action in the past, where exactly when the action occurred (yesterday) is indicated.
Vasya ate the whole cake. = Result: No cake!

Or another example:

The action is cut off from the present by indicating a moment in the past: Past Simple or Past Indefinite is used.

The Present Perfect indicates an action from the past that is connected to the present through a result that exists in the present.

Past Simple expresses an action that took place in the past, and also states the fact that an event occurred in the past. Past Simple is widely used when describing events that took place in the past, or in conversations about past events.

Here is a cheat sheet and a reminder at the same time:

1) Present Perfect is never used with such designations of past moments as yesterday, last week, an hour ago, at five o'clock, etc. Past Simple is used with them.

2) If these adverbs are present, then they are used rather with the Present Perfect:

Ever (ever)
- already (already)
- before (before)
- never (never)
- yet (yet)
- not yet (not yet)
- since (since)
- for (during)
- just (just now)
- recently (recently)
- rarely (rarely)
- lately (in lately)
- so far (for now)

3) If the question begins with when, use the Past Simple rather than the Present Perfect. When indicates that the question is about a past moment.

Now let's pay attention to the formation of these two times:

At the end of the story I offer you look at this text and work with English times. All times are highlighted in a different color.

By the way, here is a translation of the examples with Vasya:

Vasya was born in 1990.
Vasya has been born at a local hospital.

Vasya started school in 1996.
Vasya has started school.

Vasya ate the whole cake yesterday.
Vasya has eaten the whole cake.

Present Perfect and Past Perfect belong to the group of perfect tenses (perfect tenses) of the English language. They express the perfection of action, but one refers to the present time, the other to the past. In this article we will look at the simple one, since people learning English often confuse Past Simple and

Features of the perception of perfect tense

Can be compared with the Russian perfect form (wrote, learned, came, did). Russian speakers can understand it from this point of view. Americans and British perceive the concept of time differently.

According to the norms of standard Russian grammar, an action in the present tense cannot end, because it is present. If the event is completed (finished), then the time is obviously past.

The essence of the English perfect tense

The English language has its own opinion: according to its norms, an action in the present tense can be completed, and this tense is the present perfect. Thus, in Russian the perfect form is only in the past, unlike English. The perfect tense emphasizes that an action or event occurred and had an impact on present moment time. Present Perfect and Past Perfect are essentially twins, only one refers to the past, while the other speaks about the present moment.

Present Perfect: usage and examples

Let's look at the formula for forming the Present Perfect.

Subject + Auxiliary for the third person) + main verb in the third form.

When to use given time? The Present Perfect is used when it is necessary to express the result of an action that has been performed. With the help of the Present Perfect, there is an emphasis on the result of the perfect situation. Thus, you can understand that the action has been completed. An equivalent for understanding this tense can be the Russian verbs: do and do.

• We have already sent you a letter. - Mu has already sent you a letter.
• He has won a lottery. - He has already won the lottery.

Please note that this tense is usually translated into Russian in the past tense. All these actions influence the present with their final result, that is, there is a direct connection with the present moment.

The second case of using the present perfect is to describe one’s past life experiences:

• I have lived here for 15 years. - I lived here for fifteen years.
• He has eaten in the restaurant Red Dragon three times. - He ate at the Red Dragon restaurant three times.

This tense is often used when talking about the number of actions performed. The perfect is also used when an action occurred in a period of time that has not yet ended. Indicators of an unfinished period are time markers: today - today, this morning - this morning, this year, month, etc.

There is already some result, but the time period has not yet ended (this week or year). Thus, it is possible to perform the action or repeat it again during this period.

Past Perfect: the essence of time

Now let's talk about the Past Perfect. It is always interconnected with another action in the past. Past Perfect expresses an action that happened before another or a specific period in the past.

Present Perfect and Past Perfect, as stated above, both are perfect forms, but the latter refers to the past tense. The second action, which happened later, is most often used in the Past Simple; markers can also be used. These are the words:

• by - (to any period);
• after - (after);
• before - (before);
• when - (when);
• earlier - (earlier);
• first - (first).

Present Perfect and Past Perfect often have the same indicators, but they differ in tense meaning. Past Perfect almost always comes as an additional one. It always depends on the underlying simple past tense.

• You arrived at the airport at 8.20, however the plane had left. - We arrived at the station at 7:30, but the train had already left.

By the way, common factors Present and Past Perfect - time markers:

• just - (just now);
• already - (already);
• yet - (already, not yet).

We can say that these are the main indicators of perfect tenses.

Present Perfect vs Past Simple

The most common difficulty among English language learners is choosing between Past Simple and Present Perfect. The problem is caused by the fact that they are translated into Russian in the same way, but they carry different semantic loads. The main thing is to understand what needs to be expressed and where to emphasize it.

The main differences between Present Perfect and Past:

1. In Present Perfect (present perfect tense) an action committed in the past has a direct connection with the present period.

2. Past Simple talks about a moment that ended a long time ago and has no connection with the real present. That is, something that remains forever in the past.

Let's compare two sentences:

• He always loved swimming. - He always loved to swim.

This sentence implies that the person will never be able to swim again, perhaps he has died.

• He always loved swimming.

The translation here is the same. It just means that he still loved and still loves swimming to this day.

There is nothing better when all the explanations about the difference between the Past Simple and Present Perfect tenses are very accessible form given by native English speakers themselves. Look at the material that I have outlined very briefly. You will no longer have any questions about how these two tenses differ and when to use them.

What is PAST SIMPLE?

Past simple is a type of past tense that is used when we need to talk about the past that happened at a specific time. Specific words are highlighted in color.

1. I went to the movies yesterday.
Yesterday I went to the cinema.

4. When I went to France, I saw the Eiffel Tower.
When I was in France I saw the Eiffel Tower.

5. I have breakfast at 8:00am.
I had breakfast at 8:00 am.

9. Peter made his first video in 2010.
Petya made his first video in 2010.

10. The store opened at 9:00am.
The store opened at 9 am.

What is PRESENT PERFECT?

1. Repeated actions in the past.
2. Never done/seen/heard/been, etc.
3. Actions took place over a certain period of time.

1. I have been to Russia five times.
I've been to Russia 5 times.

You have eaten steak many times.
You've eaten steak many times.

He has run the marathon twice.
He has run the marathon twice.

2. I have never been to Tanzania.
I've never been to Tanzania.

She has never bought an Mac computer.
He never bought a Mac.

They have never eaten duck.
They never ate duck.

When to use PAST SIMPLE and PRESENT PERFECT?

1. In general, both of these tenses are very similar and are used to indicate a past action. If you are a complete beginner, you can only use the Past Simple - the simple past. A native speaker will understand you.

2. At a more advanced level, this tablet will be useful to you; see how the meaning of the same sentence said in paste simple and a perfect present.

You can find this material on the channel of Justin, an American teacher.

Take a short test to reinforce the material.

Exercises

Exercise #1
Determine what time it is:

1. Last week Jack and Sarah ate pie.
2. When my mother was 25, she started working as an engineer.
3. Yesterday you ate mashed potatoes for dinner.
4. This morning we walked along the river.
5. An hour ago we were swimming in the pool.

Clue
1. Jack and Sarah ate a pie last week.
2. My mom started working as an engineer when she was 25 years old.
3. You ate mashed potatoes at dinner last night.
4. We walked next to the river this morning.
5. We swam in the pool one hour ago.

Exercise #2
Determine what time it is.

1. I haven't talked to Jack yet.
2. Susan hasn't been to France yet.
3. We have been playing football for two years now.
4. They ate five pieces of chicken.
5. I didn’t go to school today.

Clue
1. I haven’t talked to Jack yet.
2. Susan hasn’t been to France yet vs Susan didn’t go to France last year.
3. We have played soccer for two years.
4. They have eaten five pieces of chicken.
5. I haven’t gone to school today.

Exercise #3
Paste regular verbs in the passes.

1. At Christmas, I ____________ (ate/have eaten) too much food.
2. He ___________ (went/has been) to the party last night.
3. You ___________ (didn’t go/have never been) to Canada.
4. I ___________ (did/have done) yoga many times.
5. We _________ (talked/have talked) on the phone yesterday.

Hello friends. Very often people have confusion between And. And indeed, we are accustomed to talking about the past in the “past”; what does the present (i.e., present) have to do with it? In this we will look in more detail differences between present perfect and past simple.

Present Perfect and Past Simple

Useful video tutorial on the topic

Watch the video lesson “20 examples Present Perfect" - Detailed analysis of 20 examples in Present Perfect. — Brief grammatical information about the Present Perfect. — Beacon words that indicate that the verb in a sentence should be put in the Present Perfect. — The main difference from Past Simple, which can be explained in one word. — One phrase in the Present Perfect that you already know very well and use often.

Now let's look at the examples in the picture.

Example 1:
- He's looking for the keys. He can't find them.
He has lost his key. — From lost the keys (present perfect). This means he doesn't have the keys right now.

Example 2:
- 10 minutes later... Tom now has the keys. He found them.
Has he lost his key? No, he has found it. - Volume lost keys? No, he found.
Did he lose his key? Yes, he did. — Did he lose his keys? - Yes, he lost them.

He lost his key - He lost the key. (past simple)

But now he has found it. “But now he has found it.” (present simple)

Watch the video tutorial explaining this unit:

Don't use the present perfect if the situation is different now than it was before.

Compare examples:

1) They 've gone away. They'll be back on Friday. (they are away now) - They left. They will be back on Friday. (there are none now)
They went away, but I think they're back at home now. (not They’ve gone) - They were leaving, but I think they have already returned.

2) It has stopped raining now, so wc don’t need the umbrella. (it isn’t raining now) - The rain has stopped, so we no longer need an umbrella. (it's stopped raining now)
It stopped raining for a while, but now it’s raining again. — The rain stopped for a while, but now it’s coming again.

You can use the present perfect for new or recently past events.

I 've been repaired the TV. It's working OK now. — I fixed the TV. Now it works well.
Have you heard the news? Sally has won the lottery! -Have you heard the news? Sally won the lottery!

Use the past simple form to report events that are old or long past.

Mozart was a composer. He wrote more than 600 pieces of music. — Mozart was a composer. He wrote more than 600 works.
My mother grew up in Scotland. — My mother grew up in Scotland.

We use the present perfect to tell the other person new information. But if we continue to talk about something (that is, this information is no longer new to our conversation), then we usually use the past simple.

English tests for self-testing and consolidation of knowledge on the topic Present Perfect and Past Simple

Russian-speaking students have a difference between tenses Present Perfect And Past Simple raises the most questions and doubts. In Russian language sentences "I've already finished work" And “I finished work 2 hours ago” this is the same past tense, however in English it is two ideologically different times.

There is good news! If you are not going to live in England or take one of the international English exams, then you can safely use Past Simple in all cases, as Americans do in spoken English. In British English, and in exams such as IELTS, FCE, CAE and others, rules for using tenses Present Perfect And Past Simple very strict and strictly regulated. Continuation of the article for those who want to get to the bottom of the truth...

The key to understanding the differences between times Present Perfect And Past Simple in their name. Present Perfect: present translated into Russian as " present“, therefore, this time is connected with the present, that is, an action that happened in the past still affects the present. Past Simple: past in Russian it is " past“, means that the action happened in the past and remained there and no longer affects the present. Main principle: Present Perfect- there is a connection with the present, Past Simple– there is no connection with the present.

In order to understand what time should be used in each specific case, you need to answer the following questions:

1. Is it known when the action took place?

Yes – Past Simple: I bought this hat yesterday– I bought this hat yesterday

No – Present Perfect:I have bought this hat recently– I bought this hat recently

2. What is important, the exact time when the action occurred, or the number of times?

Time of action – Past Simple: I was in Paris last year– I was in Paris last year.

Number of times – Present Perfect:I have been to Paris twice in my life– I have been to Paris 2 times in my life.

3. What is more important, the action or its result?

Action – Past Simple:I started learning Chinese– I started studying Chinese(you don’t even have to specify when exactly, because I’m just telling you what I did in the past)

Result – Present Perfect:I have started learning Chinese– I started learning Chinese (in this sentence I want to emphasize that I now know another foreign language)

4. Has the action started in the past already finished?

Yes – Past Simple: We were friends for seven years– We were friends for seven years (but then something happened and we stopped being friends)

No – Present Perfect: We have been friends for seven years– We have been friends for 7 years (we started being friends 7 years ago and are still friends)

5. Is the result of the completed action visible in the present?

No – Past Simple: I won a large amount of money two years ago, but I spent everything in six months– I won a large sum of money two years ago, but I spent it all in six months. (that is, I had money in the past, but I don’t have it anymore)

Yes – Present perfect: I have won in a lottery! I'm not poor anymore!– I won the lottery! I'm not poor anymore! (literally I have my winnings in my hands)

6. Has the time period in which the action took place ended?

Yes (last week/month/year, yesterday, three months/weeks/days/years ago etc.) – Past Simple: She visited her friends yesterday– She visited her friends yesterday.

No (this week/month/year, today, etc.) – Present Perfect:I have sent five e-mails this morning- I sent five emails this morning (this morning is not over yet)

7. Is the action over?

Yes – Past Simple: I learned Chinese two years ago– I learned Chinese two years ago (I already know it)

No – Present Perfect:I have learned Chinese for two years– I’ve been studying Chinese for two years (but haven’t mastered it completely yet)

8. Is the person in question alive?

No – Past Simple: My great-grandmother went to London twice– My great-grandmother was in London twice (she has already died)

Yes – Present Perfect: My friend has been to London three times– My friend has been to London three times (he is still alive)

9. What interrogative word begins the question, “When...?” or “How long...?”

“When...?” – Past Simple: “When did you start learning English?” “I started learning English five years ago”- “When did you start learning English?” “I started learning English five years ago”

“How long...?” – Present Perfect:“How long have you learned English?” “I have learned English for five years”– How long have you been studying English? I've been studying English for five years.

IMPORTANT! The latest news is presented in the Present Perfect, and details are presented in the Past Simple. The same rule applies when talking about news and life events.

Famous actress has confirmed the divorce with a famous singer(news submitted to Present Perfect). She packed her bag and left their house in Los Angeles (details supplied in Past Simple).

I once have gone to Spain(life event is presented in Present Perfect). There I had time of my life. We visited many towns and villages. And we especially enjoyed the architecture of Barcelona(details in Past Simple)

Words - markers:

Past simple:

• yesterday
• last week/month/year/century
• In (2013)
• when
• then
• 3 hours/minutes/days/years ago
• for (only for completed actions)

Present Perfect:

• Already
• Never
• Ever
• Just
• Lately
• This week/month/year
• Since

IMPORTANT!

last time- V last time, V last time (Past Simple)

recently, lately- last time ( Present Perfect)

That's all the rules. I hope you found answers to all your questions about correct use Present Perfect And Past Simple.