SIMPLE PAST versus PRESENT PERFECT - REVIEW

                                                                             

 

                                              SUMMARY OF APPLICATIONS

 

 

                       SIMPLE PAST

 

                  PRESENT PERFECT

 

SIMPLE PAST is used to express actions that were completed in the past.

 

KEYWORDS:  Any word that signifies a specific past time:  yesterday, last night, this morning, 5 min­utes ago ....

 

PRESENT PERFECT is used to express actions which began in the past and continue (di­rectly or indirec­tly) into the present.  These actions can be put in into categories:

 

 

 

 

 

**NOTE**

 

If a specific past time is indicated in a clause, the present perfect CANNOT be used (except for the case of “since....”).

 

i)                    Experiences (indirect con­nection to present)

KEYWORDS: ever (interrogative), never (negative), times, before.

 

Note: for experience, the past participle of the verb GO (gone) is replaced by the past participle of BE (BEEN)

 

ii)                   Actions which began in the past and continue into the present

KEYWORDS: How long...?, for (+ duration), since (+ specific time)

 

iii)                 Actions which continue indi­rectly into the present

KEYWORDS: yet (interrogative and negative), already (affirm­ative), just, recently

 

NoNonsense English
© Copyright 2001 by Eric Squire