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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grammar points today but while we wait
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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
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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
want some homework check that out and of
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
well be safe and I will see you again
next time bye