The key rule
| Tense | Use when… | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present Perfect have/has + pp |
The time is unfinished or unspecified. The action is connected to now. We don't say exactly when. |
I have seen that film. (ever in my life) She has lived here for years. (still now) They have just arrived. (very recent) |
| Past Simple verb + -ed / irregular |
The time is finished or specified. The action is completely in the past. We say or imply when. |
I saw that film last week. She lived in Paris from 2010 to 2015. They arrived at 6 pm yesterday. |
Signal words
| Present Perfect | Past Simple |
|---|---|
| ever never already just yet since 2020 for 3 years recently so far today / this week | yesterday last week/month/year in 2010 ago when I was young at 3 o'clock then / at that time |
today / this week
Use Present Perfect when the time period is still in progress: "I have drunk three coffees today." (the day isn't over). Use Past Simple when the time is over: "I drank three coffees yesterday."
Once you ask "When?" or "What time?", switch to Past Simple
Even inside a conversation that started in Present Perfect, asking for an exact moment pulls you into Past Simple — you're now asking about a specific point in time, not the general fact.
B: Nice — when did you finish it?
A: I finished it last night.
Is the situation still true right now?
The same action can take either tense depending on whether its result still holds at this exact moment.
She calmed down for a bit earlier, but she's upset again now. (that calm moment is over)
Is the subject still "active" in that role?
The same type of fact can go either way depending on whether the person could still add to it.
This engineer has designed three award-winning aircraft, and she's working on a fourth. (still active)
Exercises
Present Perfect or Past Simple?
1. She ___ to London last summer.
2. I ___ raw fish.
3. ___ the match last night?
4. This is the best pizza I ___ eaten.
Trickier cases: context decides the tense.
1. A: I've finished the essay. B: Nice — when ___ it?
2. She ___ down, so it's a good time to talk to her.
3. She ___ down for a bit earlier, but she's upset again now.
4. The Wright brothers ___ the first airplane.
5. This engineer ___ three award-winning aircraft, and she's working on a fourth.
Put the verb into the correct form: Present Perfect or Simple Past.
11. Dialogue:
Which sentence is correct: (a), (b), or both?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Right or wrong? If a sentence is wrong, choose "Incorrect" and type your own correction.
1. "I have seen that movie last week."
2. "Have you ever tried Ethiopian food?"
3. "She has bought a new car yesterday."
4. "I haven't finished my homework yet."
5. "When have you arrived?"
6. "They have lived in that house since 2015."
Read the situations and write a sentence using just, already, or yet. You can use either the Present Perfect or the Simple Past where possible.
Make it personal: For extra speaking or writing practice (no fixed answer, so it isn't graded above): tell a partner something you haven't done today, something you did last night, and something you've done several times in your life. Notice which tense you naturally reach for in each case.