Present perfect and past simple
Have you ever eaten insects? Catherine and Neil talk about unusual food and give you 3 rules to help you choose between the present perfect and past simple tenses in this episode of 6 Minute Grammar.
Catherine
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute Grammar with me, Catherine.
Neil
And me, Neil. Hello.
Catherine
Today we’re talking about the present perfect and the past simple tenses.
Neil
Yes – we’re going to tell you how to form them, and give you three rules to help you decide which one to use and when.
Catherine
… we’ll also look at using ever and never with the present perfect….
Neil
…and we’ll finish with a quiz.
Catherine
Right then: let’s start with the present perfect. And here’s our first example:
Example
I’ve looked at the sales figures. They’ve shot up by 20%!
Neil
So, it’s subject, plus have or has, plus a past participle.
Catherine
To make past participles of regular verbs, add –ed to the main verb… so look becomes looked.
Neil
But some verbs, like shoot, are irregular. The past participle of shoot is shot. You just have to learn your irregular verbs.
Catherine
That’s right. And we often use short forms in the present perfect, like I’ve, he’s, and they’ve.
Neil
Now, here’s an example of the past simple.
Example
I looked at the sales figures this morning. They shot up by 20% last month.
Neil
For the past simple of regular verbs, add –ed to the main verb…
Catherine
So look becomes looked, but don’t forget those irregular verbs. The past simple of go is went.
Neil
Now it’s often difficult to know which tense to use.
Catherine
It can be so we’ve got some rules for you. Listen to the first example again:
Example
I’ve looked at the sales figures. They’ve shot up by 20%.
Catherine
And it’s present perfect here because we’re focusing on what happened, not when. But in the second example:
Example
I looked at the sales figures this morning. They shot up by 20% last month.
Neil
… it’s the past simple because we say when the actions happened. So that’s rule 1: use the present perfect to say what happened, but the past simple for when or where something happened.
Catherine
That’s right. Now Neil just a minute because I actually… I haven’t eaten this morning…
Neil
And that’s an example of the present perfect with a time phrase. So sometimes, we can use the present perfect to say when something happened, when a situation started in the past and is still true, or still happening now. Here you go… Here’s a biscuit Catherine…
Catherine
Thank you, Neil.
Neil
… because you haven’t eaten anything this morning…
Catherine
… I haven’t. But, if I said, I didn’t eat anything this morning, with the past simple, it would mean it isn’t morning any more – now, it’s the afternoon or evening…
Neil
Yes, the action started and finished in the past… and you must be starving – go on, have another biscuit!
Catherine
Thank you very much. So that’s rule 2: use the present perfect for events that started in the past and are continuing now…
Neil
…and the past simple for actions that started and finished in the past.
Catherine
Nice biscuits, Neil.
IDENT
6 Minute Grammar from BBC Learning English.
Catherine
And we’re talking about when to use the present perfect and the past simple.
Neil
Now, we often use the present perfect with ever and never… for life experiences – things we’ve done at some point in the past. Here’s a question for you, Catherine.
Catherine
Okay…
Neil
Have you ever eaten insects?
Catherine
Funnily enough, Neil,no, I’ve never eaten an insect, and I don’t think I ever will. How about you?
Neil
Yes, actually I have eaten insects. I’ve eaten ants that were given to me by a friend from Colombia.
Catherine
Very good. So, rule 3: use ever with the present perfect to ask about a past experience, and never to talk about an experience you haven’t had.
Neil
… but if you add information about time and place, use the past simple – I ate insects last summer in Colombia.
Catherine
… and Neil used present perfect in I have eaten insects because he was focusing on the event itself, not when it happened.
Neil
Actually, I wasn’t focussing on anything. I kept my eyes shut the whole time! They didn’t look very nice.
Catherine
But they tasted alright?
Neil
They tasted okay, yes.
Catherine
Good.
Neil
It’s now time for a quiz. Which is correct? Number one: a) I’ve been for a job interview last week or b) I went for a job interview last week.
Catherine
And it’s b) I went for a job interview last week. Use the past simple when you say when something happened.
Neil
Number two: a) I never went for a job interview or b) I have never been for a job interview.
Catherine
And it’s b) I have never been for a job interview. We use the present perfect with never.
Neil
And the last one: a) Who has eaten all my biscuits? or b) Who ate all my biscuits?
Catherine
And that’s a trick question because actually both are correct! And by the way, Neil, it wasn’t me! I didn’t eat all your biscuits.
Neil
Yes, I’m sure. And that means we have now come to the end of our programme. Don’t forget our three rules: One. Use the present perfect to say what has happened, but the past simple to say when or where it happened.
Catherine
Two: Use the present perfect for something that started in the past and is continuing now, but the past simple for something that started and finished in the past.
Neil
And three: Use ever with the present perfect to ask about a past experience, and never to talk about an experience you haven’t had.
Catherine
There’s more about this on our website at bbclearningenglish.com. Join us again for more 6 Minute Grammar.
Both
Bye.
Grammar Reference
Present perfect and past simple
Life experiences
When talking about a life experience, we can use the present perfect. We don’t say when it happened because we’re more interested in the experience, than the time or date.
My wife has seen both Sex and the City movies.
If we want to say when the experience happened in the past, we use the past simple.
She watched the newest Sex and the City movie last week.
We often use the present perfect with the words ever and never.
Have you ever fallen in love? No, sadly I’ve never been in love.
We can answer these questions with Yes, I have. or No, I haven’t.
If we want to say how many times we have done something, we can use the present perfect, or we can add a past simple sentence with an expression of time or place.
‘Have you ever fallen in love?’ ‘Yes. I’ve actually been in love twice.’
‘Have you ever fallen in love?’ ‘Yes, I have. I fell in love twice with different women when I was in Japan.’
Recent past actions that are important now
We use the present perfect when things that happened in the recent past are important now.
Oh no! I’ve lost my wedding ring… My wife will kill me!
We use the past simple to say when the action happened.
I lost my wedding ring last night…
Past situations that are still happening now
We use the present perfect for situations that started in the past and are still happening now.
I haven’t seen my husband this morning. (It is still this morning.)
We use the past simple for situations that started and finished in the past.
I didn’t see my husband this morning. (It is this afternoon or evening now.)
How long… questions
We sometimes use the present perfect in these questions.
How long have you lived with your boyfriend?
We talk about how long with the words for (meaning throughout a period of time) and since (meaning from a point of time to now – this can be a date or a past simple phrase).
We have lived together for three years.
We’ve been in a relationship since 2002.
I’ve known him since we were children.
If we know it is a completed event, we can ask a how long question with the past simple.
‘How long did you live with your ex-husband?’ ‘We lived together for about six years. I moved out when I found out he was cheating!’
With just, already and yet
We use the present perfect with just, already and yet to talk about recent events in the past. The exact time is not important. We use just and already mostly in positive sentences. We use yet in negative sentences and questions.
I’ve just met the most gorgeous man! I wonder if he’s single…
‘Let’s go to the movies tonight, James.’ ‘We’ve already been three times this week. I think your movie mad, Jane!’
He hasn’t asked me out yet.
Have you decided when to have your wedding yet?
Completed actions in the past
We usually talk about these actions and events using the past simple. We often include a time reference in these sentences.
I met my wife on 3 July 1990 and we got married in August.
We went on holiday three times together in 1997.
We celebrated our 14th anniversary last August.
Our close friends moved to France three months ago.
Form
Present perfect
We have lived together for six years.
The present perfect is made of two parts: the present form of the verb have and the past participle of the main verb.
Here is how it works in positive, negative and question forms.
Positive
subject + have + past participle
I have lived here for two years. I’ve lived here for two years.
We have lived together for one year. We’ve lived together for one year.
You have started dating that guy. You’ve started dating that guy.
They have been together much longer. They’ve been together much longer.
He has started seeing that girl. He’s started seeing that girl.
She has forgiven him again. She’s forgiven him again.
Negative
subject + haven’t/hasn’t + past participle
I haven’t been in a relationship for years.
We haven’t lived together very long.
You haven’t moved in together yet.
They haven’t been on holiday together.
He hasn’t dated anyone else.
She hasn’t been married before.
It hasn’t been a great time for them.
Questions
Have/Has + subject + past participle
Have you asked her out?
Have they started dating?
Have we been married twenty-five years already?
Has he really dated her sister as well?
Has she seen anyone else lately?
Has it been long since you called her?
Past simple
With the past simple the form doesn’t change for each person (I/you/he/she/it/we/they). Remember the regular verbs end -ed but irregular verbs don’t follow this riule and have their own form.
Positive
I met my wife in France.
You arrived early.
He dated three women before meeting his wife.
She thought he was the one.
It seemed like a perfect relationship.
We wanted to go to the movies together.
They organised a special holiday for their anniversary.
Negative
subject + did not / didn’t + verb
I did not / didn’t meet her in Spain.
You did not /didn’t see him again.
He did not / didn’t get anything for their anniversary.
She did not / didn’t tell him about her problem.
It did not / didn’t end well.
We did not / didn’t want to move in with his parents.
They did not / didn’t want a flashy wedding ceremony.
Questions
Did + subject + verb
Did you ask him out then?
Did he propose on holiday?
Did she like her ring?
Did we book that band for the wedding reception?
Did they really run away together?
Take note: time expressions
We use the past simple, but not the present perfect, with past time expressions like yesterday, last month, six years ago, when I was a child.
CORRECT: What did you do when you finished college?
WRONG: What have you done when you finished college?
CORRECT: I left that company three years ago.
WRONG: I have left that company three years ago.
Take note: writing and speech
We often use the past simple (not the present perfect) to describe events in stories, when one thing happens after another in the past. We use the present perfect more in speech than in writing.
Spoken English
In everyday speech and writing, it’s common to use a contraction with the auxiliary verb in the present perfect and the past simple.
I’ve just been to the supermarket.
We haven’t ever tried eating snails.
He didn’t answer his phone when I called.