Present Perfect vs Past Simple
GRAMMAR-(B1-B2)
10/21/2025
Target Structures:
Present Perfect (have/has + past participle)
Past Simple (verb + -ed / irregular form)
Goal:
Use the correct tense to talk about past actions with or without connection to the present.
1. Warm-Up (3 min)
🗣️ Questions:
Have you ever travelled to another country?
When did you last go on holiday?
Have you finished your homework yet?
💬 Sample Answer:
I’ve been to Italy twice. I went there last summer.
🎯 Focus: contrast between experiences (have been) and specific past times (went).
2. Presentation (8 min)
A. Present Perfect → experience / recent events / results now
✅ Form:
have/has + past participle
✅ Use for:
Life experience (no specific time)
I’ve visited Japan.
She’s never tried sushi.Recent actions with results now
I’ve lost my keys. (→ I can’t find them now.)
Actions continuing until now
We’ve lived here for ten years.
🧩 Signal words:
ever, never, already, yet, just, recently, since, for, still
B. Past Simple → finished actions at a specific time
✅ Form:
verb + -ed (regular) / irregular forms (went, saw, did)
✅ Use for:
Completed actions
I watched a film yesterday.
Specific times or finished periods
They visited London in 2019.
Actions in sequence
I woke up, had breakfast, and left.
🧩 Signal words:
yesterday, last week, in 2010, ago, when
C. Key Difference
FocusPresent PerfectPast SimpleTimeNot specific / connected to nowSpecific / finishedExampleI’ve seen that movie before.I saw that movie last week.Signal Wordsever, never, yet, alreadyago, yesterday, last night
💬 Tip: If you mention when, use Past Simple.
3. Controlled Practice (6 min)
Choose the correct form of the verb in brackets.
I ______ (lose) my keys. Can you help me look for them?
She ______ (go) to France last year.
We ______ (never / be) to New York.
He ______ (finish) his homework two hours ago.
They ______ (live) in Madrid since 2018.
I ______ (just / see) that new film — it’s amazing!
My grandparents ______ (get married) in 1960.
You ______ (already / eat)?
✅ Answer Key & Explanations
have lost → result now (still looking for them).
went → specific time (last year).
have never been → life experience.
finished → completed past time (two hours ago).
have lived → started in the past, continues now.
have just seen → recent event with result now.
got married → completed past event.
have already eaten → recent action affecting the present.
🧩 Why others are wrong:
Using Past Simple when no time is given sounds incomplete.
Using Present Perfect with a clear time word (yesterday, in 2010) is incorrect.
4. Interactive Practice (5 min)
Complete the sentences with your own ideas.
I’ve never ______, but I’d like to.
I went to ______ last year.
I’ve already ______ today.
I haven’t ______ yet.
I ______ two days ago.
💬 Example:
I’ve never flown in a helicopter, but I’d love to try it.
🎯 Focus: encourage variety of verbs and time expressions.
5. Free Practice (4 min)
🗣️ Mini Speaking Task:
Tell a short story using both tenses.
Prompt examples:
“Talk about a travel experience.”
“Describe a recent achievement.”
💬 Example:
I’ve visited London twice. The first time, I went with my parents in 2019. We saw Big Ben and the London Eye.
🎯 Encourage students to connect experiences (Present Perfect) with past details (Past Simple).
6. Extra Discussion (3–4 min)
Conversation Questions:
What’s something you’ve achieved this year?
Have you ever met someone famous? When?
What countries have you visited? When did you go there?
What’s something you haven’t done yet but plan to?
Do you think it’s important to talk about experiences or dates? Why?
🎯 Encourage contrast between both tenses naturally in extended answers.
7. Wrap-Up & Review (2 min)
🎯 Quick Recap:
Present Perfect: experience or action connected to now (I’ve lost my keys.)
Past Simple: completed action at a specific time (I lost my keys yesterday.)
Don’t mix them — time words decide!
💬 Mini Challenge:
Tell me two things you’ve done this week and one thing you did last weekend.
