PART 01: PRESENT AND PAST…
1.3 Present Perfect and Simple Past Tense
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The present perfect and present perfect progressive (also called the present perfect continuous) are used to talk about things that started in the past, continue up to the present, and may continue into the future.
example:
I‘ve lived in Rockland my whole life.
OR
I‘ve been living in Rockland my whole life. (I was born in Rockland, and I’m still living there.)
The present perfect progressive can indicate that the action is temporary.
I‘ve been living in Rockland for three years, but next month I’m moving to Los Angeles.
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The simple past tense is used to talk about things that happened and were completed in the past.
example: I lived in Rockland for two years. (I no longer live in Rockland.)
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The present perfect is used to talk about things that happened at an unspecified time in the past.
example: She‘s read a book about baby names. (We don’t know exactly when she read the book, or the time is not important.)
Be careful! She’s read a book and She’s been reading a book have very different meanings. The present perfect progressive shows that an activity or state is unfinished.
example: I‘ve been reading a book on baby names. (I’m still reading it.)
The present perfect (without for or since) refers to an activity or state that is finished.
example: I‘ve read a book on baby names. (I finished the book.)
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The simple past tense is used to talk about things that happened at a specific time in the past. The exact time is known and sometimes stated.
example: I read a book on baby names last week.
Be careful! Do not use specific pas time expressions with the present perfect.
example: She changed her name last year. not She has changed her name last year.
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Use the present perfect to talk about things that have happened in a period of time that is not finished, such as today, this month, this year.
example: She‘s had three cups of coffee this morning. (It’s still this morning, and it is possible that she will have some more.)
Notice that we don’t usually use the present perfect progressive to talk about how many times someone has done something or how many things someone has done.
example: She‘s had three cups of coffee this morning. NOT She’s been having three cups of coffee this morning.
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Use the simple past tense to talk about things that happened in a time period that is finished, such as yesterday, last month, last year.
example: She had three cups of coffee yesterday. (Yesterday is finished.)
Be careful! Some time expressions such as this morning, this month, or this year can refer to a finished or unfinished time period. Use the present perfect if the time period is unfinished. Use the simple past tense if the time period is finished.
example: It’s 10:00 a.m. She‘s had three cups of coffee this morning. (The morning is not over.)
It’s 1:00 p.m. She had three cups of coffee this morning. (The morning is over. It is now afternoon.)
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fin for 1.3… and to be continued for 1.4…
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Based on the book Focus on Grammar: A High-Intermediate Course for Reference and Practice, by Marjorie Fuchs and Margaret Bonner. Copyright © 1995, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc.
