Objectives
Understand the distinctions between simple past and present perfect
Learn about it!
PAST TENSE
In the previous lesson, you have learned about simple past tense and past continuous tense. Now in this lesson, you will learn how to use those tenses in a conversation. However, before that let’s review what you have learned. Do you still remember when do we use simple past tense or past continuous tense in English?
Simple past tense is used to tell an event that happened in the past. For example: “My mother made a cake.” Past continuous is also used to tell an event that happened in the past, but it happened at a particular time. For instance: “I was doing my homework.” It means that I was doing my homework at a particular time in the past or in a specific time in the past I was doing my homework. That was how you say a statement in past tense.
Now, when you want to say the interrogative sentence, how do you use the tenses? How do you ask people using the past tense? In order to answer those questions, you need to listen to the following dialogue between Silva and Hera. They talk about their holiday experience.
Pay attention to how Silva asked Hera about her holiday. Silva asked Hera “what did you do during your holiday?, Did you go somewhere?, What did you do there?”
When asking someone about their past experience, you use ‘did’ and the verb is not in its past form, but it comes back to its present form. For instance, in the example above the verb is ‘do’ and ‘go’. How so?
Because the interrogative sentence (the sentence that you use to ask the question) in past tense requires the auxiliary verb ‘did’ in order to indicate past tense. So, if there is an auxiliary verb ‘did’, you do not have to use the past form of a verb, you use ‘did’ and present form of a verb instead. Here are other examples for you:
Where did you go?
What did you bring?
How did you get there?
Now let’s pay attention to the response said by Hera to Silva. In order to respond to Silva’s question, Hera said “Yes, actually I went to Bandung with my family.” Since Silva asked her using simple past tense, the answer must be in simple past tense as well.
To answer a question using past tense, the pattern is more or less the same with the pattern of simple past tense that we have already learn before. ‘Went’ is the past form of ‘go’. This sentence indicates that Hera told Silva about the event that happened in the past.
Silva: Did you go somewhere? (did + Verb1)
Hera: Yes, actually I went to Bandung with my family. (Verb2)
Now, listen again to another conversation.
In the dialogue, the teacher asks Lili about her holiday by asking “So, did you go somewhere on your last holiday?” This phrase can be used when you want to ask people about their holiday experience. You can also use “How was your holiday? / “Where did you go last holiday?” or else.
From the dialogue, we can also find out Lili’s response to the teacher’s question about her holiday. In order to response to the question about her holiday experience, Lili says “it was fun”. This sentence can be used to tell people about your experience. You can also use the following expressions as your choice.
It was great.
Not so bad/good.
It was wonderful/amazing/good.
Now, can you tell find out what type(s) of tense(s) are used in the dialogue? What are they?
Here is the transcript of the previous dialogue. Try to identify which sentences that use past tense.
PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
Miss Carol | : | OK everyone, this is your biggest challenge yet. |
Jess | : | A day when we mustn't argue? |
Miss Carol | : | No, no. The challenge will take longer than a day. A day and a night in fact. You're going to go camping. |
Debbie | : | Camping! |
Pete | : | Wicked! Are you coming too, Miss? |
Miss Carol | : | No. You have to plan the trip yourselves, and go on it yourselves, too. You're going to be on your own. |
Jess | : | Right, I've written out everything we need for the camping trip. I've listed the things you need for yourself and then some stuff for you to bring for all of us. |
Debbie | : | Baked beans? I hate those. |
Pete | : | Never mind, Debbie, I love them. You're bringing them for me! |
Joel | : | There's loads of stuff here. Do we really need it all, Jess? I've got hardly any money at the moment. |
Pete | : | OK, then, you can sell your guitar! No, seriously, you can borrow some money from me. But I want it back, though. |
Jess | : | It's really important to be prepared. We don't want anything to go wrong. |
Jess | : | Joel, Joel, hi! Have you got everything on your list yet? |
Joel | : | Not yet. Give me a chance! |
Jess | : | How are you getting on with the camping list, Debbie? |
Debbie | : | Um, OK. What about you? |
Jess | : | Oh, I've finished mine. All done! |
Jess | : | Pete! Have you got everything on your list? |
Pete | : | List? What list? |
Jess | : | Pete! |
Pete | : | No, only joking. Don't worry. I'm going to get everything together tonight. |
Miss Carol | : | I'm going to take you all to the campsite and then leave you. You'll be on your own, OK? |
Jess | : | Let's just check we've got everything before we go. |
Joel | : | No. Not again, Jess. |
Debbie | : | Eurgh, my feet are all wet. |
Joel | : | Put your boots on. |
Debbie | : | I didn't bring any. |
Jess | : | hey were on your list. |
Debbie | : | I forgot them, OK. |
Jess | : | I said let's check everything, but no one wanted to. |
Debbie | : | Oh be quiet, Jess. Ouch! |
Jess | : | Oi! Help me get this back up. Can you guys light the fire? |
Pete | : | No problem. Have you got the matches? |
Joel | : | Jess, have you got the matches? |
Jess | : | No but they were on someone's list. |
Debbie | : | I didn't bring any. |
Pete | : | I didn't either. |
Joel | : | Nor me. |
Jess | : | I don't believe it! |
Pete | : | Oh come on, Jess. Calm down. I know things are going wrong, but we can still have fun. |
Joel | : | Yeah, let's ask the farmer for some matches. |
Pete | : | I'm on my way! |
Pete | : | It's a good thing the farmer had some matches. |
Debbie | : | And some milk! |
Joel | : | And a tin opener! We're really bad campers, aren't we? |
Jess | : | No, you're not. |
Debbie | : | That's right, we're not. We're still here, aren't we? |
“To be continue”
Right, I've written out everything we need for the camping trip. I've listed the things you need for yourself and then some stuff for you to bring for all of us.
The above sentences (*red color) are use Present Perfect Tense
Present Perfect Tense is used to express an event that started in the past and the impact of the event is now continuing (or a long-running event that started in the past and is still going on). This tense is used to express actions completed recent past. In this tense, it is important whether the event occurred or not. ( or the result of the event is important, not the time of the event )
The Present Perfect Tense is formed by putting “to have ( have or has )” before the past participle of the verb.
POSITIVE FORM (+) : Subject ( I, YOU, WE, YOU, THEY ) + HAVE + V3 ( third form of main verb – past participle )
Subject ( HE, SHE, IT ) + HAS + V3 ( third form of main verb – past participle )
NEGATIVE FORM (-) : Subject ( I, YOU, WE, YOU, THEY ) + HAVE + NOT + V3 ( third form of main verb – past participle )
Subject ( HE, SHE, IT ) + HAS + NOT + V3 ( third form of main verb – past participle )
QUESTION FORM (?) : HAVE + Subject ( I, YOU, WE, YOU, THEY ) + V3 ( third form of main verb – past participle )
HAS + Subject ( HE, SHE, IT ) + V3 ( third form of main verb – past participle )
USE OF PRESENT PERFECT TENSE:
1. Present Perfect Tense is used to express an action that happened at an unspecified time in the past and the impact of the event is now continuing.
( Finished Actions —-Past Event & Present Result )
Examples:
She has lost her wallet ( She can’t find it )
We can’t reach Paul by phone. Have you seen him?
Tom isn’t at school. I think he has gone to the theater.
My sister has broken her arm. Her arm is still broken.
2. Present Perfect Tense is used to express an action that ended recently. We often use words like “just” or “recently” for the events taking place a very short time before now.
( Recent Completed Actions )
Examples:
I have just finished my project.
My mother has just cleaned the house.
We have recently eaten dinner.
3. Present Perfect Tense is used to talk about unfinished actions or states or habits that started in the past and continue to the present. In such sentences, it is emphasized that how long the action has continued. So we usually use ‘since’ or ‘for’ to express “how long”. We often use stative verbs / non-continuous verbs / mixed verbs in such sentences).
( Unfinished Actions / Duration from Past until Now )
Examples:
The student has studied maths for three months.
I have lived in Paris for five years.
My son has been sick since Monday.
He has worked in Berlin since he graduated from the university.
She haven’t been calm since the accident.
Teachers have thought this subject for hours.
They have had many cars since I can remember.
4. Present Perfect Tense is used to express repeated actions in an unspecified time between the past and now.
( Repeated or Multiple Actions at Different Times )
Examples:
We have watched that movie three times.
I have seen David several times.
She have had six exams so far this semester.
They have called him four times this month.
5. Present Perfect Tense is used when we talk about life experiences.
( Life Experiences )
Examples:
I have been to England in my life.
Have you ever eaten Sushi before?
We have never tried to invent something new.
6. Present Perfect Tense is used when we talk about accomplishments.
( Accomplishments )
Examples:
My father has spoken five languages.
Scientists have found a new way to get cancer cells to self-destruct.
Man has walked on the Moon.
7. Present Perfect Tense is used when we talk about changes that has occurred over periods of time.
( Changes Over Time )
Examples:
Our english has improved a lot when we moved to England.
Her behavior and attitudes have changed a lot since you last saw her.
I have become more interested in medical issues.
Attention 1:
1. “Present Perfect Tense” is used with “an unfinished time word ( this week, today, etc. )“. The period of time is still continuing.
Examples:
We haven’t called him this week.
I have eaten lots of plumps today.
They have had several tests this month.
2.“Present Perfect Tense” is not used with “a finished time word ( yesterday, last week, etc. )“. In such sentences, we use “Simple Past Tense”
Examples:
I haven’t seen you yesterday. ( wrong ) * I didn’t see you yesterday. ( correct )
We have finished the project last week. ( wrong ) * We finished the project last week. ( correct )
He has bought a new house last year. ( wrong ) * They bought a new house last year. ( correct )
Attention 2:
We often use the present perfect with some time adverbials ( adverbs of time ). Some of them are mentioned here.
1. “Since” is used with a point ( previous point ) in time in the past.
Examples:
Since last week / month / year / summer, etc.
Since one o’clock / two o’clock / six o’clock, etc.
Since Sunday, Monday, Friday, etc.
Since April, June, January, etc.
Since 1950, 1999, 2017, etc
Since they moved / we talked to him, etc.
2. “For” is used with a period of time in the past, present or future.
Examples:
For one minute / ten minutes, etc.
For two hours / five hours, etc.
For a day, four days, six days, etc.
For three weeks, seven weeks, etc.
For two months, three months, etc.
For five years, ten years, etc.
For hours, more than a week, ages, a couple of months, etc.
3. “Already” is used to emphasise that something was completed before something else happened. It is also used to show surprise about things that have happened or will have happened earlier than we expected. It usually comes between the auxiliary verb ( have or has ) and the main verb.
( We use “already” in affirmative ( positive ) sentences and questions but not usually in negative sentences )
Examples:
She has already come.
The plane has already landed.
I have already done it.
Have you already written to John?
Has the train already left?
4. “Yet” is used to refer to a time which starts in the past and continues up to the present. It usually comes at the end of a sentence.
( We use “yet” mostly in negative sentences and questions but not usually in positive sentences )
Examples:
It hasn’t stopped snowing yet.
They haven’t opened it yet.
Have they arrived yet?
Has she driven her new car yet?
5. “Just” is used to refer to a short time before the moment of speaking. It usually comes between the auxiliary verb ( have or has ) and the main verb.
(We use “just” in affirmative ( positive ) sentences and questions)
Examples:
We have just decided to sell our car.
The plane has just arrived.
Have they just left?
6. “Ever” is used to refer to at any time. It usually comes between the auxiliary verb ( have or has ) and the main verb.
(We use “ever” mostly in questions)
Examples:
Have you ever met her?
Have you ever cooked cheesecake?
Have you ever heard this sound?
7. “Never” is used to refer to not at any time. It usually comes between the auxiliary verb ( have or has ) and the main verb.
(We use “never” in negative sentences ( negative meaningful ))
Examples:
I have never been to America.
We have never heard anything so stupid.
She has never flown in a plane before
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