Present Perfect vs Simple Past ( English Learning )

Form Present Perfect Tense Have/Has + Past Participle + (verb + ed) Have/Has + Past Participle + (Irregular verb) Sandra has finished practicing the violin. Andrew has seen that movie. Finished events connected to the present. (can also be expressed in simple present) David has let the cat out. The cat is out. I have finished that assignment, so (now) I can go to the movies. Express an idea of completion, accomplishment, achievement At last, I have graduated! Finished events with expressions of time up to now; when we use indefinite time adverbs such as ever, before, never, yet, already, lately Have we ever met? I’ve never gone to India. Correct the mistakes. Peter has before taken the dog out. We haven’t finished our homework already. I have worked here since 20 years. He has just went out. We are already bought a present. Have you seeing Tom lately. Repetition and continuation to now I’ve lived in the U.S. all my life. I can not go skiing with you, because I have broken my leg. The simple past tense is formed: Simple Past Tense Verb + ed or irregular form They stopped at the market. Alex bought dinner. Examples of irregular verbs are spoke, thought, knew, made The simple past tense is used when the time frame is a completely finished event. Sarah thought that the movie plot was good, but she didn’t like the acting. I spoke to Allan several times, and he still forgot to bring the chips and dip. When expressions used are such as yesterday, last week, then, when, or when a date is given. Susan was born in 1987. Sometimes Present Perfect and the Simple Past tense can be used interchangeably, although their meanings differ. For example: Valerie has arrived from Rome. (No specific time period and suggests that she is now home.) Valerie arrived from Rome. (Suggests that there will be further information about completed events on her trip; such as, She brought lovely gifts from Venice.) Practice Exercise 1: Complete each of the following sentences with either the present perfect or simple past tense. ( Fluent English, Page 4) (drive) Mary __________ her new car to Santa Cruz yesterday. (buy) We ______________ a new house last week. (not try) Sam _______________ on his new pants yet. (eat) ___________ you ever ___________ fried bananas? (not go) Mr. and Mrs. Denton ___________ out of town last weekend. (see) I have never ___________ The Himalayan mountains. (not speak) He _______________ much English his last trip last April. (miss) _______ you __________ me while I was gone? (dance) __________ you ever ______________ the salsa? (get) Richard ___________ a new car last week. Examples of irregular forms, please fill in the past participle form. Present Past Past Participle be was begin began bring brought do did eat ate go went say said know knew try tried go went give gave swim swam ring rang Practice Exercise 2: complete each of the following sentences. (Fluent English, page 5) (sing) Who __________ the last song. (do) Sara ______ her homework last night. (be) Where ___________ you last night? (begin) Madelaine _________ already begun her new job. (know) Henry __________ all the answers. (write) _______ you _________ the letter yet? (begin) Angel _________ his university education last week. (sing) She _________ in Madrid many times. (see) _______ anyone really ever seen the Loch Ness monster? (take) I had a headache, so I _________ some medication. Practice: ( Grammar Dimensions: page 23) Person A: So you’ve taken piano lessons. Have you ever studied any other instruments? Person B: Actually yes. Before I took piano lessons , I had studied the violin for a year, but my playing is terrible. Person B: I see you’ve lived in two other countries, besides the United States. Which one did you live in first, and how long did you live in each one? Person A: Well I lived in Peru for fifteen years, before I moved to Madrid. I lived in Madrid for a little over three years. Person A Person B Was on a track team took piano lessons as a child Lived in Peru grew up in Korea Lived in Madrid moved to the United States in 1992 Parents live in Mexico attended the University of Florida Belongs to a health club like to watch basketball Loves old movies didn’t do well playing the violin Is a sophomore works at a television station