Simple Past Tense vs Present Perfect Tense in English

buddy welcome back to our weekly live

stream my name is Alisha and today we

are going to talk about simple past

tense and present perfect tense one of

the most commonly asked questions ever

on our channel I think so I hope that

this will be a great lesson for

beginners for intermediate students and

for advanced students I hope that

everybody can find something to review

can find something that will help them

decide when to use these grammar points

because they are very commonly confused

so I will start the lesson in a couple

of minutes and then we’ll get rolling in

case you missed it today’s lesson I

think everything just loaded up now

today’s lesson I will show you the

lesson title but simple past tense

verses present perfect tense simple past

verses present perfect I see many people

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okay I see all of you are here now so

I’m going to show you today’s lesson

below let’s take a look at today’s

lesson Flo

today’s topic is simple past tense so

we’ll start here then we’ll talk about

present perfect tense and then we’ll

talk about simple past vs. present

perfect how to choose so I made a few

guides kind of like guidelines or tips

to help you understand when you should

use which of these okay I think all

right I’m set I’m going to change my

setup a little bit I am broadcasting

from home again this week so that’s why

we’re using the small whiteboards so

please and thank you for your

understanding

okay I can’t see the YouTube chat right

now there we go okay good let’s get

started then with simple past tense

simple past tense hi Hector one of our

youtube members join beginning it’s time

to begin let’s look with simple past

tense to begin here alrighty so simple

tense first in blue when do we use

simple past tense what is simple past

tense for we use simple past tense for

actions that started and ended in the

past we also use it for repeated past

actions so if we imagine this on a

timeline I have these two kind of sets

of markers on this timeline so on this

timeline here is now the stars now

there’s the future today we’re not going

to worry about the future very much we

want to focus on the past a lot today so

when we use simple past tense it’s for

an action that started so this check

mark is the start and it ended in the

past it started and ended in the past so

the beginning and the end of this task

happened in the past it is not a task

that continues okay so this is a key

point that is different with the other

grammar point for today

all right the other point here I’m not

going to talk about this a lot but for

actions that repeat or oh sorry actions

that repeated in the past we can also

use simple past tips for example I went

to school everyday when I was a kid so

every day is a repeated action okay so I

turned up the mic I hope that’s a little

bit louder easier to hear okay so how do

we make simple past tense let’s take a

look here there are two groups of verbs

to consider we have regular verbs and

irregular verbs so your regular just

means not regular so irregular and

regular verbs first let’s review regular

verbs to make the past tense form of a

regular verb we do verb plus e d verb

plus e d here I’ll raise the level if it

make a little bit more verb plus e d

so for example walk becomes walked and

call becomes called or cook becomes

cooked so these all end in Edie please

keep in mind the pronunciation is not ed

ed ed for everything so we have like

walked or called cooked so there’s kind

of tend in sounds and made a video about

this you can check it out on the English

class 101 YouTube channel if you want to

practice this I’ll put a link up I I’ll

put links in the YouTube description

after this is finished okay but so these

are for regular verbs okay sound is good

now okay everybody says sound is better

now so alright so let’s go to irregular

verbs irregular verbs what do we do with

irregular verbs unfortunately

unfortunately it’s too bad but with

irregular verbs we have to study we have

to study to remember the past tense form

of irregular verbs so we can’t just put

like an e d at the end we have to

remember for example eat becomes ate or

fly becomes sleep what becomes put so

this is this last one this is an

important point put and put this means

like the verb doesn’t change put is the

same in present tense and in past tense

so please be careful of this ok so how

do we make the negative form then we

make the negative form by using did not

plus the infinitive form of the verb so

this point right here this is one that I

see a lot of people make mistakes with

lots of learners have trouble with this

point right here so please maybe for

many of you this could be a good study

point

so to make the negative form use did not

write here or it didn’t

plus the infinitive form of the verb the

infinitive form of the verb so

infinitive again this means like the

dictionary form the dictionary form so

let’s look at I’ve made a bunch of

examples a lot of examples here let’s

take a look at them ok so to begin some

people are saying it’s lagging I’m

closed everything on my computer it

might be a little connection issue right

now hopefully it will improve ok so

let’s take a look at some examples of

this let’s take a look at I’ve made a

bunch of examples so hopefully we can’t

see ok so first I made coffee this is a

very very basic past tense sentence made

coffee you can say brewed coffee as well

I made coffee so made is the past tense

form of make or this one I forgot to buy

milk yesterday so this is an example of

a verb past tense verb paired with so

put together with another verb I forgot

to do something this verb to buy this

verb should not change so this is

another issue that I see sometimes with

learners I forgot to bot is incorrect

you don’t need to change this verb in a

sentence like this so just change this

one this is the past action ok let’s go

to this one then he called me last week

he called me last week so in these

examples we can see irregular verb

irregular verb regular verb yeah so

forget becomes forgot made becomes made

and so on with practice it becomes

easier to remember

all right now let’s look at some

negatives so

negative here she didn’t come to the

office this morning she didn’t come to

the office this morning here didn’t or

did not rather is before the infinitive

form of the verb come so we do not need

to change this verb so did not came is

incorrect incorrect totally incorrect

I see many learners make this mistake so

please be careful

so not she didn’t came but she didn’t

come to the office this morning we

didn’t finish our homework until

midnight we didn’t finish our homework

until midnight again did not comes

before the infinitive form of the verb

no change here hmm also I’ve included

this one just a little bit of review we

talked about like bye and until a little

bit a couple weeks ago this sentence we

didn’t finish our homework until

midnight so this sentence is expressing

a past action but we use simple past

tense here even though like we’re

talking about something that took time

in the past so maybe it continued for

some time in the past but it finished so

we use simple past tense to describe

them okay let’s go to the last two the

last two are questions so I don’t have

space to make a question pattern but I

want to review how we make questions the

first question here is just a simple

yes-or-no question

so did subject did you did he did she

did subject verb so in this sentence in

these question patterns this verb is the

infinitive form so again infinitive form

is the base form of the verb the

dictionary form no verb changes the

basic form no change is here to make

your question past tense

this is important did you cook something

good for dinner so make sure this bird

is helping word changes finally where

did you buy that shirt where did you buy

that shirt this sentence this is an

information question so not just yes no

but I want some information in this case

where so I use a WH who what where when

why how also okay we’re again helping

verb did you buy that shirt so in your

question patterns please make sure this

helping verb do becomes did did so this

will make your sentence or your question

past tense past okay good I looking for

your questions I don’t see them yet I

will show you this with the other board

so you can take a picture a few times

during this lesson too please don’t

worry okay I don’t see your questions

someone some example sentences are

coming in my mood on Facebook says did

you eat something yesterday very nice

and Conwell G on YouTube says when did

you complete your project good student

project did you do breakfast maybe did

you make breakfast did you make

breakfast but the difference between do

and make to review when we do it’s an

activity when we make we create

something so when you cook please use

make please use make uh I missed the

last stream this guy that’s a great past

tense example okay

very nice very nice let’s see on

Facebook I see your comment I can’t read

your name sorry I don’t drink coffee

today when you want to make a negative

sentence use did not did not I did not

drink coffee today did not drink coffee

today okay David on YouTube says how do

you answer the last question where did

you buy that shirt so use a simple past

tense sentence to answer it so our hint

is here where did you buy that shirt

I bought so to use this I bought this

shirt at ABC store so you simple past to

answer with a simple Pasta question some

AC says I didn’t not submit my project

today careful care for many of you okay

well a few of you did not is correct or

didn’t is correct but not did not didn’t

so did not I’ll include it here or

didn’t did not equals didn’t we can’t

put them together did not equals did it

so not did not didn’t not hmm okay yes

this live stream will be saved for those

for who asks blog have asked that this

live stream is being recorded so please

check the Facebook or YouTube after this

lesson to watch it again I will put some

links in the YouTube description also

okay so this is simple past tense I need

to move on to the next grammar point

though so if you missed F what if you

want to review you can check this lesson

again later okay let’s take a break that

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let’s go to a review if you missed it

today’s lesson is about simple past and

present perfect simple past tense versus

present perfect I have finished talking

about simple past tense now I’m going to

talk about present perfect tense I’m

going to show you our lesson topics our

lesson flow for the day come on okay we

show you our lesson topics for today in

case you want to take a picture get

ready

boom okay so we just finished talking

about simple past tense now I’m going to

talk about present perfect at the end of

the lesson I’m going to cover some tips

how do I choose between these two so now

we’re going to talk about present

perfect tense let’s get it going

okay present perfect tense everybody’s

favorite grammar point for sure I know

everybody’s favorite grammar point let’s

take a look what is this grammar point

okay it’s very small isn’t it okay I’ll

get close present perfect tense we use

present perfect tense for actions that

started in the past and continued to the

present so again the present means now

especially with progressive verbs and

for or since so many of you ask me I see

your comments all the time what’s like

the difference between present perfect

tense and present perfect continuous

it’s a continuous is when we want to

emphasize an action is continuing so I’m

going to talk a little bit about that

today

but I want to talk about the differences

between this form and

simple past tense in the basic form

today

so I’ll show this in just a moment on

this timeline the other point here for

present perfect tense is they will use

it for general life experience at a non

specific hard to see nonspecific

nonspecific that means not specific we

don’t know what we don’t care

point in the past a non specific point

in the past so what does this mean what

does this look like I don’t understand

let’s imagine this point point one here

actions that started in the past and

continued to the present let’s imagine

this on a timeline so again the star is

now our live stream right now where

you’re watching future we’re not worried

about the future today

well in this course let’s talk about the

past

so actions that started in the past and

continue to the present so imagine this

action started sometime before now and

continues to now maybe it’s going to

continue after that but we want to focus

on this time we use present perfect to

do this and we often use present perfect

with progressive or continuous to do

this with for Orson’s second point

general life experience at a nonspecific

point in the past imagine it’s like this

sometime in the past when this is a

question mark when we don’t know or it’s

not important

but we just want to express some

experience we use present perfect to do

that hmm okay so let’s look at how we

make present perfect now to make present

perfect tense we need to think about our

subject this is a bit this is quite

different from simple past attempts yeah

so if our subject is I you we or they we

use have to make a negative not

plus the past participle form of a verb

past participle form of a verb we have

to study this for each verb each verb

has a past participle form I’m not going

to cover this if you want to study this

please Google past participle verb list

something like that you can find a list

very fast that’s the best way if your

subject is he she or it you need to use

has to make a negative not and again

past participle verb here so this is how

we make present perfect the basic form

of present perfect to make a negative

use not and of course you if you want

in some cases never replaces not these

questions okay alright continuing so

let’s look at a bunch a bunch of example

sentences that I hope will help you

cover whatever questions you may have

I’m going to check the chat as I go

through this so I hope if you have a

question let me know all right first one

I have been to Mexico so basic sentence

this is a great grammar point for your

travel experience I have been to Mexico

means I have the life experience of

visiting of going to Mexico I have been

to Mexico

don’t forget this preposition to here

either yeah we need to I have been to

Mexico I have not been to Greece I have

not so this is how we make it negative

not comes before the past participle

form of the verb so B becomes bit all

right

hello and I have shared a house with

roommates before this before it’s a very

common word in expressions like this

like when we’re talking about life

experience this before just means before

now I’ve done this before

I

seen this before I’ve shared a house

with roommates before okay next a never

example he has never forgotten my

birthday he has never forgotten my

birthday so what’s the difference

between he’s never forgotten my birthday

and he’s not forgotten my birthday he

has not forgotten my birthday sounds

like maybe this year’s birthday kind of

like he’s not for he has not forgotten

my birthday maybe in the last few years

or something like that never means all

time every single year

he remembered my birthday so they both

have they’re both sometimes correct but

it depends on what you want to say okay

next one this is another very common

question that I see from many of you she

has lived in this city for three years

she has lived in this city for three

years can I say she has been living in

the city for three years yes you can

they have the same feeling in that case

the difference is just that living

sounds a loop like this there’s a

stronger feeling of continuing living in

the city so in that case it’s a very

small difference but you can use both of

them she has lived here is another

example of progressive tents they have

been working at this company since 2015

she’s been working or sorry they have

been working at this company since 2015

so again have been so bin is the past

participle form of the verb to use the

progressive form we follow this part

with an ING verb at this company since

2015 so can I say they have worked at

this company since 2015 yes

so just like this sentence they’re the

same feeling in this case we want to

emphasize the continuing feeling here so

that’s why this example sentence uses

the iron the progressive that

continue as far okay onward let’s look

at some questions now I see many people

struggle with making questions I think

you practice answering questions in your

lessons a lot but please remember up

with the board down please remember to

make questions when you practice this is

really really important for your

conversation skills don’t forget to make

your own questions so send me some

questions in the chat I don’t know I

answer them all practice now practice

now send me some questions first what

have you been to Europe

have you been to Europe this means do

you have the life experience of visiting

Europe or has he arrived at the office

yet many people ask why is this has why

is this one have remember this rule

appear where depending on the subject we

need to use a different helping verb the

same rule is in questions so my subject

is you I need to use half as my helping

verb I said is he she or it has is

my helping verb has he arrived at the

office yet hmm

or have you read my email another

question people ask is how do I know

should I say read or read hear what what

I don’t know the grammar hint is right

here hmm if the sentence begins with did

did you read my email it’s a simple past

tense question and therefore we use read

did you read my email if the question

begins with half it’s a present perfect

tense question so we use read have you

read my email mm-hmm okay good some

examples are coming in good questions

thank you everybody for practice and

your questions MTA enthusiasts have you

been to the to the Netherlands before no

I have not I would like to go at least I

have you ever been to Brazil no I have

not I would like to go okay very nice

tenzin on facebook says have you seen a

mirror yet is that a show no okay yeah

lots of people are saying have you been

to Brazil No

have you been to okay lots of you great

great thank you for practicing your

questions don’t forget your - - have you

been to place hmm

teeka says have you visited Bali is this

correct yes good so have you been to

place or have you visited place we do

not use to with the verb visit robbed

cell on Facebook says is it better to

say have you ever been in Europe or have

you been to Europe have you ever been to

• please use to - year okay okay Jen

says have you eaten Korean food yes it

is delicious good examples

oh so she says have you been to space

sadly no I would like to go I would like

to go very much excellent examples

everybody have you been to Italy yes I

enjoyed it very much I would like to go

again alright let’s continue on nice

questions everybody I’m going to

continue checking we’re going to look

now these are yes/no questions

everybody has been practicing yes/no

questions very nice have you been to

Asia let’s practice some information

questions now why haven’t you finished

your homework why haven’t you finished

your homework this question begins with

Y so these are examples of questions you

can use with wh so who what where when

why and so on however this is negative

what does this mean why haven’t you

finished your homework so going back to

this imagine your parent your mom or

your dad or someone like maybe your

teacher says this to you why haven’t you

finished your homework

so your parent is talking to you now

yeah you and this time did not do your

homework and your parent is asking why

why not why not that’s why this is

negative so it’s like a continuing thing

a continuing action continuing state

that did not

Ben y asks the parent why so because I

was watching TV because I was playing

video games so this is why the sentence

is negative why the question is negative

why haven’t you finished your homework

this one is a job interview question

what companies have you worked for yes

it is common to hear this for at the end

of a sentence what companies have you

worked for or this one is kind of weird

right where has my phone gone where has

my phone gone like my phone my phone

can’t walk I can’t move my phone like it

doesn’t my phone doesn’t move but we use

patterns like this where has my object

gone when we want to be a little bit

funny like maybe like we want to give

the impression like we want to give the

feeling that my phone maybe has legs

like it moved somewhere by itself like

it wasn’t my fault I didn’t lose it it

went somewhere on its own so this

expression is something you might hear

when people lose their objects it sounds

kind of funny like the object walked

away okay oh my gosh

I’m very late we have to stop that part

and move on to the next part oh okay

so a very quick reminder in case you

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let’s check it out okay we have to go

now to the last part of today’s lesson

the last part of today’s lesson is click

please don’t panic remote team simple

past tense versus present perfect tense

how do I choose I don’t know which one

to use

here are some guides these are not

perfect rules but they should help you

in most cases ask yourself a couple

questions one are you talking about a

specific point in time

or a specific past time period yes

simple past so for example if you want

to say something happened at 2:00 p.m.

or noon or this morning yesterday last

year over the weekend these are really

important when I was a kid or when I was

in university these are points in time

or we consider them like points in time

past time periods so when you’re talking

about an action that happened at a

specific point or in a specific period

use simple past tense if you want some

examples of this please when this video

has finished check these simple past

tense example sentences I shared another

one are you talking about an action or a

state that is still continuing so

something is happening now still it

started before it’s happening now use

present perfect to describe that I’ve

been sick for one week so this expresses

I started feeling sick a week ago and I

feel sick now I’ve been sick for one

week expresses that or I’ve lived here

since 2017 or she’s worked here her

whole life her whole life I’ve got a

question should be excellent sorry it’s

an exclamation point she’s worked here

her whole life her whole life okay when

you are making your question so I said

make sure to practice making questions

yeah is your question about a life

experience use present perfect for

example with your travel experience like

we just practiced have you been to

France or have you seen this movie this

is a general life experience question we

don’t we’re not asking when did you see

the movie we want to ask about your

experience then give details in simple

past

so if the answer is yes use simple past

tense because you are describing a

specific point in time so have you been

to France yes I went when I was a kid

simple past okay so I hope that this

helps you I will show you this in a

screenshot so that you can take a

picture so what’s the difference between

these two sentences let’s finish here

did you finish your homework versus have

you finished your homework yet

so both of these are these are 100%

correct both of these sentences are

perfect

they’re great what’s the difference here

yet is often at the end of a sentence a

past present perfect sentence it

communicates some expectation so this

sentence doesn’t have a similar

expectation it’s just like a report

did you finish yes or no this sentence

feels like there’s some expectation I

imagine you’re going to finish I want to

check with you that’s the feeling there

so they are both 100% correct it’s up to

you oh wow that was a lot of information

I will show you the lesson boards now

take a picture if you like you miss it

just check the check the recording this

is what we talked about in today’s

lesson I will include a few reference

links in the YouTube description of this

video so if you want some more if you

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course take a look at the link below the

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Facebook to get this free guide to

learning at home I have to go I’m

extremely late so please join me again

next week next lesson will be June 10th

that is Wednesday 10 p.m. Eastern

Standard Time I’m going to talk about

modal verbs mm-hmm everyone’s favorite

verbs in the past I’m going to focus on

should have and shouldn’t have so I’m

going to this will be the first in kind

of a modal verb series I’ve decided to

do so please join me to talk about

modal verb should for next week that

should be a good lesson of course

we’ll finish there for today so I hope

that this lesson was helpful for you I

hope that you maybe got some questions

answered about the differences between

these grammar points I will say goodbye

thank you very much for sending your

questions thank you for liking and

sharing the video we really really

appreciate it many people join us every

week from all around the world that is

super super awesome so I will say

goodbye check out your free stuff be

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next time bye