GIVE ANSWERS - English

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Which is different between Present Perfect and Past Simple?


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Setsukochan profile picture SetsukochanApril 2021

The fundamental difference between these two tenses is that past simple (also known as the preterit tense) refers to events that are totally disconnected from the moment of utterance (=now, as you utter/write the sentence), something that no longer has an impact/influence/is relevant today, while the present perfect aims to create a link between a past event and the moment of utterance (=again, now) for various possible reasons (so the connection past/present is relevant and the details are defined by the context and possible additional tools like BE + ING or a duration in a prepositional group, for example). If you create another question about the various "uses" of the present perfect, it will be the occasion to talk a little more about that tense.

For the time being, I recommend that you read a chapter or two in a reliable grammar textbook  and do a couple of exercises to understand which one to use (for instance, learn how to identify time adjuncts like "yesterday / ago" that automatically trigger the use of past simple). Here are a couple of links (I did not watch the videos, but let us know if that proved useful or not):

Oxford - past tenses (video)

Oxford link - exercises past simple

Oxford - present perfect lesson (video)

Oxford - exercises present perfect

 

 

 

 

  • HakanHitit profile picture HakanHititMay 2021
    As a result ’’present perfect’’ functions simply as two tenses imo : 1- as ’’present perfect continuous tense’’ : i have learnt English for two years=i have been learning English for two years(=a continuous action from past up to present) 2- as ’’simple past tense’’ with ’’before’’ : i have learnt English before= i learnt English (last year, etc.) ☺☺☺
  • Setsukochan profile picture SetsukochanApril 2021
    @AussieInBg: Thank you so much for watching the videos & giving feedback. I completely agree with you on the fact that the ”British” perspective is not representative of English at all times (let’s remember this ”staple” as an example: ”I have just done it” in British English vs. ”I just did it” in American English ). A native speaker is seldom cognizant of the mechanisms at work when they speak, and it takes much practice for a non-native to get to a point where they don’t even have to think through before they use a ”tricky” tense or structure. Congratulations to you, as a native speaker, for breaking it down for learners! All best, --S.
  • AussieInBg profile picture AussieInBgApril 2021
    @Setsukochan The links you have given (yes, an example of present perfect simple here tend to reflect the most common British English usage of present perfect / simple past tense forms - but do not cover all cases.

    Bear in mind that these examples from Oxford are relevant for learners up to a level of B2 and are for ”most likely usage”. The game changes significantly once you head into C1 and C2 territory - or a real native speaker is using such constructions in an natural manner.

    Don’t forget that grammar rules - especially for lower level learners - are formulated to fit most, but not all, possible scenarios. When these rules are applied, the speaker/writer is more likely ”to get it right”. For a language learner it keeps things ”safe”.

    Take, for example, ”I saw this film yesterday.” You might have learnt by rote a rule such as ”you use the simple past tense to describe events at specific points in the past”. It is used in this way, particularly by native speakers, perhaps 90% of the time - a specific time point in the past reduces the importance of the past event because you focus more on an exact time of the event’s occurence.

    Similarly, ”I have seen this film before.” Yet again, a case of learning by rote, this time being a rule like ”you use the present perfect tense for events in the past without a specific point in time”. Perfect tense forms are probably used in such a manner in about 90% of instances (at least for British English speakers). By not defining a specific point in time, the emphasis falls much more on the past event - most likely you are talking about it because it is relevant to you at the present point in time, the exact time in the past at which the event occurs is likely secondary.

    So, you have two commonly used grammar rules which cover cases using ”yesterday” or ”before” in a ”safe” manner for a learner.

    Something like ”I have seen this film yesterday!” definitely gets used by native speakers. In this instance, it might form part of a conversation where both viewing the film and the point in time - ”yesterday” - are relevant elements in a conversation.

    @HakanHitit take a look at my explanation above
  • HakanHitit profile picture HakanHititApril 2021
    It may be right in general but present perfect does not have to refer to a link between past and present always as in the following :
    I HAVE SEEN THAT FILM BEFORE = I have seen that film in the past (and the action has no more any link to the present=the action was done and left in the past totally)=I saw that film( last year for instance)
Nemesiz profile picture NemesizSeptember 2023
Speaking of simple past, it puts the case for actions which happen in the past and are finished and normally have an exact time.
On the other hand, present perfect talks about actions which are regarding the past but do not state an exact time.
  • AussieInBg profile picture AussieInBgSeptember 2023
    Ummmm, no.

    Perfect tenses definitely *can* describe exact time frames and times, e.g.

    in British English:

    ”The history of London, the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, extends over 2000 years. In that time, it has become one of the world’s most significant financial and cultural capital cities. It has withstood plague, devastating fire, civil war, aerial bombardment, terrorist attacks, and riots.”

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London

    or in American English

    ”10 Things I’ve Learned In The 10 Years Since High School Graduation”

    https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ten-things-ive-learned-in-the-ten-years-since-high_b_57609aafe4b07d4d0a417387

    In both cases, times have been *definitely* defined.

    Furthermore, the events being described in each case are incomplete!

    Over time I’ve seen a lot of nonsense regarding the teaching of perfect tenses. One of the first things I’ve often got to do with the students I get at a B2, C1 or even low C2 level is reteach students what a perfect tense actually is and the wide spectrum in which they really operate.

    A more rational model for present perfect tense usage is describing events with a beginning time in the past relative to the present point of time - which are important for defining the context at that present point of time.

    You would tend to use simple past tense forms for past events which are secondary facts or information from the past relative to the context of the present time.

    People are often shocked to discover that present prefect tenses can be used to describe events completed in the past, completed at the present point in time and even used for describing future events! They can even be used for describing events of a repeated nature - something that certain less educated claim is only performed by simple present tense forms...

    The key in all cases is that the event begins in the past and is relevant to the present situation, not just as a supporting fact.

    I don’t know where you have got your ”rules” for using present perfect verses simple past from. Sure, you are more likely to use a simple past form to describe an event occurring at a specific time. Usually an event at a specific time in the past is secondary to the context at the present point of time - but not always!
Artem_Shylov profile picture Artem_ShylovMay 2021
We usually use Present Perfect to tell about action that happened at unstated time and we use Past Simple for actions that happened at stated time.(For example: He has bought a pencil( we don’t know when), he bought pencil yesterday( when? yesterday)