ESL CONNECT | Present Perfect Simple vs Past Simple

Explanation: present perfect simple vs past simple

This lesson starts from the basic past simple and moves to the present perfect simple. The main difference is about time.

1. Past simple

Use the past simple for finished actions at a finished time.

Form	Structure	Example
Affirmative	subject + past verb	I visited London last year.
Negative	subject + didn’t + base verb	She didn’t watch the film.
Question	Did + subject + base verb?	Did you go to Paris?

Common past simple time words:
yesterday · last night · last week · last year · two days ago · in 2020 · when I was younger

2. Present perfect simple

Use the present perfect simple to talk about life experiences, recent actions or unfinished time periods. The exact past time is not always important.

Form	Structure	Example
Affirmative	subject + have/has + past participle	I have visited London.
Negative	subject + haven’t/hasn’t + past participle	She hasn’t seen that film.
Question	Have/Has + subject + past participle?	Have you been to Paris?

3. Past participles

For regular verbs, the past participle is the same as the past simple: worked, played, visited. For irregular verbs, you need the third form.

Base verb	Past simple	Past participle
go	went	gone
be	was/were	been
see	saw	seen
eat	ate	eaten
do	did	done
make	made	made
buy	bought	bought
write	wrote	written

4. The main difference

Past simple	Present perfect simple
I went to London last year.	I have been to London.
The time is finished and specific.	The experience is important, not the exact time.
Use with: yesterday, last year, in 2020, ago.	Use with: ever, never, already, yet, just, this week, today.

5. Ever and never

Use ever in questions about life experience. Use never to say “not at any time in my life”.

Examples:
Have you ever eaten sushi?
I have never eaten sushi.
Has she ever been to London?
She has never been to London.

6. Already, yet and just

Word	Use	Example
already	something happened before now	I have already finished my homework.
yet	questions and negatives	Have you finished yet? / I haven’t finished yet.
just	very recent action	She has just arrived.

Remember:
Finished time = past simple: I saw that film yesterday.
Life experience / no exact time = present perfect: I have seen that film.

Past simple review

Choose the correct past simple form.

1. I __________ to Rome last year.

have gone went go

2. She __________ the film yesterday.

hasn’t watched didn’t watched didn’t watch

3. __________ Marco last night?

Have you seen Did you see Did you saw

4. They __________ a new car in 2022.

have bought buyed bought

Write the sentence

Make negative: I went to school yesterday.

Answer: I didn’t go to school yesterday.

Present perfect simple form

Choose the correct present perfect form.

1. I __________ London three times.

visited have visited has visited

2. She __________ that film before.

has saw have seen has seen

3. We __________ sushi.

haven’t eaten didn’t eaten hasn’t eaten

4. __________ to Paris?

Did you ever been Have you ever been Have you ever went

5. Anna __________.

has just arrived just arrived yesterday have just arrived

Write the present perfect

Complete: She / never / be / to London.

Answer: She has never been to London.

Life experience: ever and never

Use the present perfect for life experiences when the exact time is not important.

1. __________ Japanese food?

Did you ever tried Have you ever tried Have you ever try

2. He __________ by plane.

has never travelled never travelled last year have never travelled

3. They __________ this film before.

saw yesterday have saw have seen

4. Maria __________ three emails today.

has written wrote yesterday has wrote

Past simple or present perfect?

Choose the correct tense. Look carefully at the time expression.

1. I __________ to London last summer.

have been went have gone

2. I __________ to London three times.

went have been was

3. We __________ that film yesterday.

have seen saw have saw

4. I __________ that film yet.

didn’t see haven’t saw haven’t seen

5. She __________ a new phone two days ago.

has bought bought has buy

6. He __________ his homework.

has already finished already finished yesterday has already finish

Already, yet and just

Choose the best sentence.

1. Choose the correct sentence.

I already ate lunch yesterday. I have already eaten lunch. I have already ate lunch.

2. Choose the correct question.

Have you finished yet? Did you finished yet? Have you finish yet?

3. Choose the correct sentence.

She has just arrived. She just has arrived. She has just arrive.

4. Choose the correct sentence.

We didn’t started yet. We haven’t started yet. We haven’t start yet.

Correct the mistake

Correct: I didn’t finished yet.

Answer: I haven’t finished yet.

B1 contrast practice

Choose the best form. These questions mix meaning, time expressions and irregular past participles.

1. __________ a famous person?

Did you ever met Have you ever met Have you ever meet

2. I __________ a famous actor in Milan in 2021.

have met met have meet

3. She __________ here for five years.

lived yesterday has lived has live

4. She __________ in Rome when she was a child.

has lived has living lived

5. I can’t find my keys. I __________ them.

lost yesterday have lost have lose

6. I __________ my keys yesterday, but I found them later.

have lost lost have lose

Rewrite the sentence

Make a life-experience question: you / ever / be / to London?

Answer: Have you ever been to London?

Use the past simple with a finished time: I / go / to London / last year.

Answer: I went to London last year.

Mixed practice

Choose the best answer.

1. I __________ my homework yet.

didn’t do haven’t done haven’t did

2. I __________ my homework yesterday.

have done did have did

3. The train __________. We are too late.

left last week has just left has just leave

4. The train __________ at 8:15 yesterday morning.

has left left has leave

5. __________ this book?

Did you read yesterday Have you read Have you wrote

6. I __________ that book during the holidays.

have read read have wrote

Final writing practice

1. Write one sentence about a life experience using the present perfect.

2. Write one sentence about a finished time using the past simple.

3. Write one question with “Have you ever...?”