Present Perfect Vs Past Simple Vs Past Perfect

 

PAST SIMPLE

We use the past simple:

• when we are talking about an event that happened at a particular time in the past

We arrived home before dark
The film started at seven thirty.

• when we are talking about something that continued for some time in the past

Everybody worked hard through the winter.
We stayed with our friends in London.

When we are talking about something that happened several times in the past we use

• the past simple:

Most evenings we stayed at home and watched DVDs.
Sometimes they went out for a meal.

PRESENT PERFECT

[has/have + past participle]

Examples:

·       You have seen that movie many times.

·       Have you seen that movie many times?

·       You have not seen that movie many times.

USE 1 Unspecified Time Before Now

We use the Present Perfect to say that an action happened at an unspecified time before now. The exact time is not important. You CANNOT use the Present Perfect with specific time expressions such as: yesterday, one year ago, last week, when I was a child, when I lived in Japan, at that moment, that day, one day, etc. We CAN use the Present Perfect with unspecific expressions such as: ever, never, once, many times, several times, before, so far, already, yet, etc.

Just, yet, still, already

These words are often used with the present perfect tense although yet, still and already can all be used with other tenses.

Just

‘Just’ is usually used only with the present perfect tense and it means ‘a short time ago’.

• I’ve just seen Susan coming out of the cinema.
• Mike’s just called. Can you ring him back please?
• Have you just taken my pen? Where has it gone?

In the present perfect, ‘just’ comes between the auxiliary verb (‘have’) and the past participle.

Yet

‘Yet’ is used to talk about something which is expected to happen. It means ‘at any time up to now’. It is used in questions and negatives.

• Have you finished your homework yet? The speaker expects that the homework will be finished.
• I haven’t finished it yet. I’ll do it after dinner.

‘Yet’ usually comes at the end of the sentence.

Still

‘Still’ is used to talk about something that hasn’t finished – especially when we expected it to finish earlier.

• I’ve been waiting for over an hour and the bus still hasn’t come.
• You promised to give me that report yesterday and you still haven’t finished it.

‘Still’ usually comes in ‘mid-position’

Still is often used with other tenses as well as the present perfect.

• I’ve still got all those letters you sent me.
• Are you still working in the bookshop?

Already

‘Already’ is used to say that something has happened early – or earlier than it might have happened.

• I’ve already spent my salary and it’s two weeks before pay day.
• The train’s already left! What are we going to do?

‘Already’ usually comes in mid-position.

PAST SIMPLE OR PRESENT PERFECT

Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses, then click the "Check" button to check your answers.

1. A: Did you like the movie "Star Wars?"
B: I don't know. I (see, never) that movie.
2. Sam (arrive) in San Diego a week ago.
3. My best friend and I (know) each other for over fifteen years. We still get together once a week.
4. Stinson is a fantastic writer. He (write) ten very creative short stories in the last year. One day, he'll be as famous as Hemingway.
5. I (have, not) this much fun since I (be) a kid.
6. Things (change) a great deal at Coltech, Inc. When we first (start) working here three years ago, the company (have, only) six employees. Since then, we (expand) to include more than 2000 full-time workers.
7. I (tell) him to stay on the path while he was hiking, but he (wander) off into the forest and (be) bitten by a snake.
8. Listen Donna, I don't care if you (miss) the bus this morning. You (be) late to work too many times. You are fired!
9. Sam is from Colorado, which is hundreds of miles from the coast, so he (see, never) the ocean. He should come with us to Miami.
10. How sad! George (dream) of going to California before he died, but he didn't make it. He (see, never) the ocean.
11. In the last hundred years, traveling (become) much easier and very comfortable. In the 19th century, it (take) two or three months to cross North America by covered wagon. The trip (be) very rough and often dangerous. Things (change) a great deal in the last hundred and fifty years. Now you can fly from New York to Los Angeles in a matter of hours.
12. Jonny, I can't believe how much you (change) since the last time I (see) you. You (grow) at least a foot!
13. This tree (be) planted by the settlers who (found) our city over four hundred years ago.
14. This mountain (be, never) climbed by anyone. Several mountaineers (try) to reach the top, but nobody (succeed, ever) . The climb is extremely difficult and many people (die) trying to reach the summit.
15. I (visit, never) Africa, but I (travel) to South America several times. The last time I (go) to South America, I (visit) Brazil and Peru. I (spend) two weeks in the Amazon, (hike) for a week near Machu Picchu, and (fly) over the Nazca Lines.

PAST PERFECT
 [had + past participle]

Examples:

·       You had studied English before you moved to New York.

·       Had you studied English before you moved to New York?

·       You had not studied English before you moved to New York.

USE 1 Completed Action Before Something in the Past

The Past Perfect expresses the idea that something occurred before another action in the past. It can also show that something happened before a specific time in the past.

Examples:

·       I had never seen such a beautiful beach before I went to Kauai.

·       I did not have any money because I had lost my wallet.

·       Tony knew Istanbul so well because he had visited the city several times.

·       Had Susan ever studied Thai before she moved to Thailand?

·       She only understood the movie because she had read the book.

·       Kristine had never been to an opera before last night.

·       We were not able to get a hotel room because we had not booked in advance.

·       A: Had you ever visited the U.S. before your trip in 2006?
B: Yes, I had been to the U.S. once before.

USE 2 Duration Before Something in the Past (Non-Continuous Verbs)

With Non-Continuous Verbs and some non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Past Perfect to show that something started in the past and continued up until another action in the past.

Examples:

·       We had had that car for ten years before it broke down.

·       By the time Alex finished his studies, he had been in London for over eight years.

·       They felt bad about selling the house because they had owned it for more than forty years.

Although the above use of Past Perfect is normally limited to Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, the words "live," "work," "teach," and "study" are sometimes used in this way even though they are NOT Non-Continuous Verbs.

IMPORTANT Specific Times with the Past Perfect

Unlike with the Present Perfect, it is possible to use specific time words or phrases with the Past Perfect. Although this is possible, it is usually not necessary.

Example:

·       She had visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.

MOREOVER

If the Past Perfect action did occur at a specific time, the Simple Past can be used instead of the Past Perfect when "before" or "after" is used in the sentence. The words "before" and "after" actually tell you what happens first, so the Past Perfect is optional. For this reason, both sentences below are correct.

Examples:

·       She had visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.

·       She visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.

HOWEVER

If the Past Perfect is not referring to an action at a specific time, Past Perfect is not optional. Compare the examples below. Here Past Perfect is referring to a lack of experience rather than an action at a specific time. For this reason, Simple Past cannot be used.

Examples:

·       She never saw a bear before she moved to Alaska. Not Correct

·       She had never seen a bear before she moved to Alaska. Correct

ADVERB PLACEMENT

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.

Examples:

·       You had previously studied English before you moved to New York.

·       Had you previously studied English before you moved to New York?

 
PAST SIMPLE / PRESENTPERFECT / PAST PERFECT

Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses, then click the "Check" button to check your answers.

When I (arrive) home last night, I discovered that Jane (prepare) a beautiful candlelight dinner.

2. Since I began acting, I (perform) in two plays, a television commercial and a TV drama. However, I (speak, never even) publicly before I came to Hollywood in 1985.

3. By the time I got to the office, the meeting (begin, already) without me. My boss (be) furious with me and I (be) fired.

4. When I (turn) the radio on yesterday, I (hear) a song that was popular when I was in high school. I (hear, not) the song in years, and it (bring) back some great memories.

5. Last week, I (run) into an ex-girlfriend of mine. We (see, not) each other in years, and both of us (change) a great deal. I (enjoy) talking to her so much that I (ask) her out on a date. We are getting together tonight for dinner.

6. When Jack (enter) the room, I (recognize, not) him because he (lose) so much weight and (grow) a beard. He looked totally different!

7. The Maya established a very advanced civilization in the jungles of the Yucatan; however, their culture (disappear, virtually) by the time Europeans first (arrive) in the New World.

8. I (visit) so many beautiful places since I (come) to Utah. Before moving here, I (hear, never) of Bryce Canyon, Zion, Arches, or Canyonlands.

Present Perfect / Past Perfect
Present Perfect Continuous / Past Perfect Continuous

Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses, then click the "Check" button to check your answers.

1. It is already 9:30 PM and I (wait) here for over an hour. If John does not get here in the next five minutes, I am going to leave.

2. I was really angry at John yesterday. By the time he finally arrived, I (wait) for over an hour. I almost left without him.

3. Did you hear that Ben was fired last month? He (work) for that import company for more than ten years and he (work) in almost every department. Nobody knew the company like he did.

4. I (see) many pictures of the pyramids before I went to Egypt. Pictures of the monuments are very misleading. The pyramids are actually quite small.

5. Sarah (climb) the Matterhorn, (sail) around the world, and (go) on safari in Kenya. She is such an adventurous person.

6. Sarah (climb) the Matterhorn, (sail) around the world and (go) on safari in Kenya by the time she turned twenty-five. She (experience) more by that age than most people do in their entire lives.

7. When Melanie came into the office yesterday, her eyes were red and watery. I think she (cry) .