Grammar › Verb Tenses › Present Perfect vs Past Simple
Present Perfect vs Past Simple
Both are past tenses, but the choice depends on time. Use:
- Past simple for a finished time — I saw her yesterday.
- Present perfect for a link to now — I've seen that film.
- Past simple to say when; present perfect when the time is unknown or unimportant.
If you can say exactly when it happened, use the past simple. Finished-time words (yesterday, in 2019, last week) force the past simple.
The difference at a glance
| Past Simple | Present Perfect | |
|---|---|---|
| Time | finished and specific | unfinished or unspecified |
| Signal words | yesterday, ago, in 2019, last week | ever, never, just, already, yet, since, for |
| Focus | when it happened | the result or experience now |
| Example | I lost my keys yesterday. | I’ve lost my keys — I can’t get in. |
The one question that decides it: can you say exactly when? If yes, use the past simple. If the time is unknown or unimportant, use the present perfect.
Use the past simple when…
The action is finished and the time is stated or clearly implied.
- I visited Rome in 2019.
- We watched the match last night.
⚠️ Typical error:
I have visited Rome in 2019.→ A finished time (2019) forces the past simple: I visited Rome in 2019.
Use the present perfect when…
- It’s an experience with no specific time: I’ve visited Rome.
- A recent action has a result now: She’s broken her arm (it’s in plaster).
- A situation started in the past and continues: We’ve lived here since 2020.
⚠️ Typical error:
I live here since 2020.→ With since/for and a situation that continues, use the present perfect: I’ve lived here since 2020.
Common mistakes
1. Present perfect with finished time. The number-one error for Spanish, Catalan, French and Italian speakers. If the time is finished, use the past simple. I have seen him yesterday → I saw him yesterday.
2. ‘When’ questions with the present perfect. When asks for a specific moment, so it needs the past simple. When have you arrived? → When did you arrive?
3. Past simple with since/for + a continuing situation. I worked here for five years (if you still work here) → I’ve worked here for five years. The past simple would mean you don’t work there any more.
✏️ Practice: Present Perfect vs Past Simple
1. I ___ my keys, so I can't open the door.
2. We ___ to Paris last summer.
3. ___ you ever ___ a famous person?
4. She ___ at this school since 2018.
5. When ___ you ___ the news?
6. He ___ his leg last week, so he can't play now.
7. I ___ that film three times. It's my favourite.
8. I've known her ___ ten years.
9. Choose the sentence with the same meaning as: 'This is my first visit to Rome.'
10. ___ you ___ your keys? We can't leave without them.
11. Fill in the gap
We ___ to Paris last summer. (go)
Type the past simple.
12. Correct the mistake
I have seen him yesterday.
Type the whole corrected sentence.
13. Correct the mistake
When have you arrived?
Type the whole corrected sentence.
✏️ Practice: Fill in the gap
Type the whole verb phrase — the past simple or the present perfect, whichever the signal word or context calls for. Twenty original sentences.
✏️ Practice: Put the words in order
Tap the words below to build each sentence in the right order. Twenty original sentences, mixing both tenses.
✏️ Practice: Match the signal word to the tense
Tap a signal word or phrase, then tap the tense it forces. A finished time takes the past simple; an unspecified time or a link to now takes the present perfect.
✏️ Practice: Beat the clock
15 seconds per question. British English. The signal word decides the tense — a finished time takes the past simple; an unspecified time or a link to now takes the present perfect.
20 questions, 15 seconds each. The clock starts when you press Start.
✏️ Practice: Find the mistake
Each sentence has exactly one mistake. Tap the word you think is wrong. Twenty original sentences.
✏️ Level check: How well do you know it?
20 mixed questions — typing, word order, signal words, multiple choice, and spot-the-mistake. One pass, then a breakdown of where you're strong and where to go back and practise.
Frequently asked questions
What's the easiest way to choose between them?
Ask: can I say exactly when? If yes (yesterday, in 2019), use the past simple. If the time is unknown, or it's an experience or a result that matters now, use the present perfect.
Why is 'I have seen him yesterday' wrong?
'Yesterday' is a finished time, and the present perfect can't be used with finished-time words. Say 'I saw him yesterday'.
Can I use the present perfect with 'when'?
No. 'When' asks for a specific time, so it takes the past simple: 'When did you arrive?', not 'When have you arrived?'.
Is this different in American English?
American English sometimes uses the past simple where British English prefers the present perfect (e.g. 'Did you eat yet?'). The rules here follow standard British usage, which most exams expect.
👩🏫 For teachers
CEFR objectives for “Present Perfect vs Past Simple”:
- Can select the past simple or present perfect according to time reference and signal words (CEFR B1).
- Can correct the typical L1 error of using the present perfect with finished-time expressions.
- Can transform between the two tenses while keeping the same meaning.
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