Past Simple vs. Present Perfect

When to Use Each – And How to Avoid Confusing Them

Why This Lesson Matters

Many learners mix up past simple and present perfect because both are used to talk about the past — but they don’t mean the same thing. This lesson will help you understand the key differences and give you plenty of practice.

1. What’s the Difference?

Examples:

2. Time Expressions to Watch For

     Past Simple:  yesterday, last week, in 2020, two days ago, when I was a student

     Present Perfect:  already, just, yet, ever, never, so far, recently, this week, today, in my life

3. How to Form

Past Simple:

Subject + verb (past form)

• I saw the movie.
• She didn’t see it.
• Did you see it?

Present Perfect:

Subject + has/have + past participle

• I have seen the movie.
• She hasn’t seen it.
• Have you seen it?

Mini Quiz – Choose the Correct Option (answers below)

1. I (finished / have finished) my report yesterday.
2. She (has visited / visited) Japan twice.
3. We (went / have gone) to the new restaurant last night.
4. I (have lost / lost) my keys. I can’t find them.
5. They (have lived / lived) in Montreal since 2018.

Rewrite Practice – Change the tense: Rewrite each sentence using the other tense (past simple → present perfect OR vice versa).

1. He bought a new phone last week.
2. I have never tried sushi.
3. We have just arrived.
4. She wrote three books in 2022.
5. I have worked here since March.

Practice Writing Task: Write a short paragraph (5–6 sentences) about one of the following topics:

• A recent experience (trip, project, event)
• Your work or study progress this year
• A time you learned something important

Use both past simple and present perfect in your writing.
Include at least 3 time expressions from this lesson (e.g., yesterday, already, since 2020, just, etc.).
Write clearly and use complete sentences.

Submit Your Writing for Correction

When you finish your paragraph, submit it to your writing coach (that’s us!) for personalized correction and feedback. We’ll check your grammar, suggest improvements, and help you get more confident using tenses correctly.

Mini Quiz Answers:

1. finished
2. has visited
3. went
4. have lost
5. have lived