Present perfect

vs

Simple past

The present perfect is used when the time period has NOT finished:

Example:

I I have seenhave seen three movies three movies this weekthis week..(This week has not finished yet.)

The simple past is used when the time period HAS finished:

Example:

I I sawsaw three movies three movies last weeklast week..(Last week has finished.)

The present perfect is often used when giving recent news:

Martin Martin has crashedhas crashed his car again. his car again.(This is new information.)

The simple past is used when giving older information:

Martin Martin crashedcrashed his car last year. his car last year.(This is old information.)

The present perfect is used when the time is not specific:

I I have seenhave seen that movie already. that movie already.(We don't know when.)

The simple past is used when the time is clear:

I I sawsaw that movie that movie on Thursdayon Thursday..(We know exactly when.)

The present perfect is used with for and since, when the actions have not finished yet: I have livedhave lived in Victoria in Victoria forfor five years. five years.(I still live in Victoria.)

The simple past is used with for and since, when the actions have already finished:

I I livedlived in Victoria in Victoria forfor five years. five years.(I don't live in Victoria now.)

We also use the Present Perfect to talk about an imprecise time in the past but as soon as we become precise we switch to the Past Simple.

Example:

I've never been to Australia. Have you ever been there?Yes I have. I went in 1992.

Complete the dialogues in Present Perfect or Past simple. Use the verbs in brackets.

1.- ……………….(you/see) any good films lately? Yes, actually, I ……… (see) a great movie last Saturday afternoon.

2.- How long ………………………….. (Sonia/work) as a lawyer? She ………… (begin) two months ago.

3.- My sister’s computer ………….. (stop) working this morning.

4.-My brother ………………. (live) in Canada for ten years. He works there. He is visiting me for Christmas.

Have you seen

saw

has Sonia workedbegan

stopped

has lived

5.- Steve …………...... (not go) hunting since last winter.

6.- I ………. (meet) a famous writer last week in a London library.

7.-Martha ………….. (arrive) home very tired yesterday. She ………….. (go) to bed straight away.

8.- We ……………….. in Los Angeles since 2010, we love the city.

hasn’t gone

met

arrivedwent

have lived

Here you have a couple of Here you have a couple of links to keep on practisinglinks to keep on practising

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs5.htm

http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/upperf2.htm