Past simple / Present perfect Past simple is used: Actions that finished in a definite time in the past I bought this car last week. To ask when? what time? Where? They have arrived. ≠ When did they arrive? An hour ago. Present perfect is used: Actions which happened in an indefinite time in the past and with visible results in the present I have lost my key. (I can’t find it now) Have you seen Ann? (She is not here now) To describe very recent actions She has just moved to a larger flat.

Past simple / Present perfect Past simple is used: To talk about past states that cannot happen again Shakespeare was a writer. He wrote plays and poems. (from 1564 to 1616) For actions which finished in the past, one after the other. She lived in this house for ten years and then moved to another one. (sequence of past actions) Present perfect is used: For actions which started in the past and continue in the present She has lived in this flat since She has lived there for three years. (She still lives there!) To describe experiences in our lifetime Have you ever eaten Chinese food? I have already eaten Chop Suey. I haven’t eaten Japanese food yet. (in your life until now) ≠ Did you eat Chinese food when you were in China? Yes, I did. (specific time in the past)

Past simple / Present perfect Past simple is used: The Simple Past is used when giving older information. i.e. Martin crashed his car last year. Present perfect is used: The Present Perfect is often used when giving recent news. i.e. Martin has crashed his car again

Past simple / Present perfect Past simple is used: The Simple Past is used when the time is clear. i.e. I saw that movie on Thursday (we know exactly when). Present perfect is used: The Present Perfect is used when the time is not specific. i.e. I have seen that movie already (we don’t know when).

Past simple / Present perfect Past simple is used: The Simple Past is used with ‘for’ when the actions have already finished: i.e. I lived in London for 5 years (I don’t live there now). Present perfect is used: The Present Perfect is used with ‘for’ and ‘since’, when the actions have not finished yet: i.e. I have lived in London for 5 years (I still live there).

Past simple / Present perfect Time expressions: Yesterday last week (...) six months ago in 1975, at 3 o’clock Time expressions: Just, recently ever, never already, yet since, for so far how long