A Research on

Past Simple and Present Perfect

Submitted by
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Submitted to
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2016

Table of Contents

Abstract

Introduction

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The Past Simple

Tense.
The Present Perfect Tense ...

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Exercises

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References

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Abstract
In this research, the researcher tackles two tenses
of English grammars, the present perfect tense and
the past simple tense. The topics of the paper
include formation of each tense, tense usage and a
lot of exercises on both tenses. The significance of
this research lies in that it is supposed to help the
reader or the English grammar learner know more
about the present perfect and the past simple. The
research questions are the following: Why does the
speaker use this tense rather than other tenses?
And in what conditions does he/she use the tense?

Introduction
In writing and speaking, the writer/speaker often has
to show when something happens. Is it taking place now?
Later? Did it happen earlier this day, a week ago, a year
ago, or when dinosaurs roamed the earth? In English, tense
is used to show when something happens.
There is no doubt that grammar is very important in
our life and other fields in society as language is a must in
all relations and businesses. Grammar lays the ground
work for effective communication. Improper grammar can
affect the meaning and clarity of on intended message. As
a reason for all mentioned above, this research will talk
about two tenses, present perfect and past simple:
clarifying structure, i.e. how each tense is formed and use,
i.e. why and when we use each tense? After all this, we

hope that we could help students understand the meaning,

structure and usage of each tense, how to differentiate
between the similarities of the two tenses. (Eastwood, John.
2002, pp 26-28)

1- Past Simple Tense

Tense Usage:
This tense is used to describe an action in the past. The following is
a detailed handling of the past simple usage.
1. Completed Action in the Past

The simple past is used to express the idea that an

action started and finished at a specific time in the past.
Sometimes, the speaker may not actually mention the
specific time, but they do have one specific time in mind.

Examples:

I saw a movie yesterday.

I didn't see a play yesterday.

Last year, I traveled to Japan.

Last year, I didn't travel to Korea.

Did you have dinner last night?

She washed her car two hours ago.

2. A Series of Completed Actions. (Eastwood, 2002. p. 26)

The Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the past.

Examples:

I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to

swim.

He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at

9:00, and met the others at 10:00.

Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and then add the eggs?

3. Duration in Past

The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and
stops in the past. A duration is a longer action often indicated by
expressions such as: for two years, for five minutes, all day, all
year, etc. (Eastwood, 2002. p. 27)
Examples:

I lived in Brazil for two years.

Shauna studied Japanese for five years.

They sat at the beach all day.

They did not stay at the party the entire time.

We talked on the phone for thirty minutes.

A: How long did you wait for them?

B: We waited for one hour.

4. Habits in the Past

The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which

stopped in the past. It can have the same meaning as "used to" To
make it clear that we are talking about a habit, we often add
expressions such as: always, often, usually, never, when I was a
child, when I was younger, etc. (www.cosmickids.gr, Unit3. )
Examples:

I studied French when I was a child.

He played the violin.

He didn't play the piano.

Did you play a musical instrument when you were a kid?

She worked at the movie theater after school.

They never went to school, they always skipped class.

5. Past Facts or Generalizations

The Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or

generalizations which are no longer true. As in USE 4 above, this
use of the Simple Past is quite similar to the expression "used to"
(www.cosmickids.gr, Unit3. )
Examples:

She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing.

He didn't like tomatoes before.

Did you live in Texas when you were a kid?

People paid much more to make cell phone calls in the past.
(Murphy, 2007. p 10)
IMPORTANT: When-Clauses Happen First
Clauses are groups of words which have meaning but are often not
complete sentences. Some clauses begin with the word "when"
such as "when I dropped my pen..." or "when class began..." These

clauses are called when-clauses, and they are very important. The
examples below contain when-clauses.
Examples:

When I paid her one dollar, she answered my question.

She answered my question when I paid her one dollar.

When-clauses are important because they always happen first

when both clauses are in the Simple Past. Both of the examples
above mean the same thing: first, I paid her one dollar, and then,
she answered my question. It is not important whether "when I paid
her one dollar" is at the beginning of the sentence or at the end of
the sentence. However, the example below has a different
meaning. First, she answered my question, and then, I paid her one
dollar

Form : Positive forms .

Subject + verb (past form ) [VERB + ed]
Examples:

You called Debbie.

Did you call Debbie?

You did not call Debbie.

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Verbs (Eastwood, 2002. pp 26-27)

Most verbs conjugate by adding -ed like the verb "wait" below.
Regular verbs :
Watch watched \ happen happened \ crash crashed
Irregular verbs : go went \ win won \ write wrote

Positive
I waited.
You waited.
We waited.
They waited.
He waited.
She waited.
It waited.

Negative

Question

I did not wait.

Did I wait?

You did

Did you wait?

not wait.
We did not wait. Did we wait?
They did

Did they wait?

not wait.
He did not wait. Did he wait?
She did

Did she wait?

not wait.
It did not wait.

Did it wait?

Irregular Verbs
Many verbs, such as "have," take irregular forms in the Simple Past.
Notice that you only use the irregular verbs in statements. In
negative forms and questions, "did" indicates Simple Past.

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Positive
I had.
You had.
We had.
They had.
He had.
She had.
It had.

Negative

Question

I did not have.

Did I have?

You did not

Did you have?

have.
We did not

Did we have?

have.
They did not

Did they have?

have.
He did not

Did he have?

have.
She did not

Did she have?

have.
It did not have. Did it have?

http://www.english-area.com/

To Be
The verb "be" is also irregular in the Simple Past. Unlike other
irregular verbs, there are two Simple Past forms: "was" and "were."
It also has different question forms and negative forms. Always
remember that you DO NOT use "did" with the verb "be" in the
Simple Past. (Eastwood, 2002. P. 28)

Positive

Negative

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Question

I was.

I was not.

You were.

You were not. Were you?

We were.

We were not. Were we?

They were.

They were

Was I?

Were they?

not.

He was.

He was not.

Was he?

She was.

She was not. Was she?

It was.

It was not.

Was it?

Time Expressions
1 - a week/ month / year ago
2 - last week/ month/ year
3 - yesterday
4 - suddenly
5 - in 2015
6 - when I was . (Murphy, 2007. pp 10-11)
Negative forms and question
I, he, she, it - was not (wasnt)
I wasnt sick last week.
He wasnt in Eilat last summer.
She wasnt at school on Monday.
we, you, they were not (werent)
We were not at home on Saturday.
You werent happy with your grades.

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They werent angry with his behavior.

We use did in negative form and question
All subjects take ( did + present )
I , we , you , they, he , she did
I didnt stop.
The drive didnt took to his right.
What did you till the police?
We noted from the previous examples the examples that did come
after the verb in its first figure (present figure) we dont use past or
past participle after did. We also use was and were in negative and
questions
Negative: I, he, she, it was not or wasnt
We, you, they were not or werent

uestion :
Was: I, he, she, it
Were: we, you, they
Examples:
I wasnt very well last weak

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Where was your friend last night?

Was your steak nice?
Use: 1 we use the past simple for something in the past which we
finished
Ex: we went to theatre on Friday.
Emma passed her exam last year.
2 we use the past simple to talk about situations in the past
Ex: I lived in New York for 10 years
3 we use the past simple for a series of actions in the past
happening one after another
Ex: Ahmed entered a room, lit a cigarette, and smiled at the guests.
4 we use the past simple for actions in story.
Ex: we arrived at the beach.
5 we use past simple to talk about times in the past (yesterday, last
week, in 1994 a hundred years ago)
Ex: we watched united last weak.
Long ago dinosaurs lived here. (Murphy, 2007. p 12)

2 - Present Perfect simple

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(www.cosmickids.gr, Unit3. )
FORM
[Has/have + been + present participle]
Examples:
You have been waiting here for two hours.

Have you been waiting here for two hours?

You have not been waiting here for two hours. (Eastwood, 2002. p.

29)
Uses Present Perfect Continuous:
USE 1 Duration from the Past until Now

She use the Present Perfect Continuous to show that something

started in the past and has continued up until now. "For five

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minutes," "for two weeks," and "since Tuesday" are all durations
which can be used with the Present Perfect Continuous.
Examples:
They have been talking for the last hour.

She has been working at that company for three years.

What have you been doing for the last 30 minutes?

James has been teaching at the university since June.

We have been waiting here for over two hours!

Why has Nancy not been taking her medicine for the last
three days?
USE 2 Recently, Lately

She can also use the Present Perfect Continuous WITHOUT a

duration such as "for two weeks." Without the duration, the tense
has a more general meaning of "lately." We often use the words
"lately" or "recently" to emphasize this meaning.
Examples:

Recently, I have been feeling really tired.

She has been watching too much television lately.
Have you been exercising lately?
Mary has been feeling a little depressed.
Lisa has not been practicing her English.
What have you been doing? (Eastwood, 2002. p. 30)

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Present perfect: tells us about past simple

Last weak, year ,Yesterday ,Ago
Ex: I played football yesterday
I visited the pyramids last week
The airlines landed half an hour ago

Present perfect: tells us about the past and the present

Here more examples: Emma has packed her case (So her things are
in the case now)
Mike has repaired the chair (so its all right now)
I have been: we use the present perfect for a state which has gone
up to present
Ex: we have lived here for ten years (we still live here)
Past simple: tells us about the past a time which is finished.
(Eastwood, 2002)
Emma packed her case last night (her things maybe unpacked now)
Mike repaired the chair. (It may be broken again now)
I was: we use past simple for state in the past which is finished
Ex: we lived here for ten years (we dont live here now)
Today, this week:

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Today and phrases with this are used for a period up to present
Ex: it hasnt rained today
Have you seen this weeks magazine?
But sometimes today and etc
Ex: I havent seen Rachel today (its still day time)
Has the past come this morning? (Its still morning)
Yesterday, last
We use yesterday and phrases with last for a past period.
Ex: it rained yesterday.
Did you see last weeks magazine?
Can mean a past period (compare)
Ex: I didnt see Sarah at work today. (The working day is over)
Did the past come this morning (its later in the day)
Which give meaningful to the sentence the present perfect.
The present perfect tells us about the past and the present.
Ex: the aircraft has landed .means that the aircraft is now on the
ground.

Important Note:
Remember that the Present Perfect Continuous has the
meaning of "lately" or "recently." If you use the Present Perfect

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Continuous in a question such as "Have you been feeling alright? it

can suggest that the person looks sick or unhealthy. A question
such as "Have you been smoking?" can suggest that you smell the
smoke on the person. Using this tense in a question suggests you
can see, smell, hear or feel the results of the action. It is possible to
insult someone by using this tense incorrectly.

REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs/ Mixed Verbs

It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be
used in any continuous tenses. Also, certain non-continuous
meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses.
Instead of using Present Perfect Continuous with these verbs, you
must use Present Perfect.
Examples: Sam has been having his car for two years.

Not

Correct

Sam has had his car for two years.

Correct

ADVERB PLACEMENT
The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs
such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:

You have only been waiting here for one hour.

Have you only been waiting here for one hour?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE

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Active form:
Passive form:

[Has/have + been + present participle]

[Has/have + been + being + past participle]

Examples:

Recently, John has been doing the work.

ACTIVE

Recently, the work has been being done by John.

PASSIVE
NOTE: Present Perfect Continuous is less commonly used in its
passive form.

Here are some examples of the present perfect tense.

subject

Auxiliary verb

Past participle

I, You ,We ,
They
He, She ,It

Have

Seen

Has

Played

Note: for can be used with all tenses

Since is usually used with perfect tense only
2: we can also use the present perfect with for and since.
When something has stopped happening
Ex: I havent seen Rachel for ages.

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She hasnt visited us since July

Now lets to compare between words or sentence
1 come to or been to
Come to: means that is still there
Been to: mean that he went and back
Ex: Claire has gone to Australia
Gone there means that she is still there
Ex: Claire has been to Australia
Been there means that visit is over. (Murphy, 2007)
Ever and never we can use ever and never with present perfect
We use ever in question
Ex: Have you ever been to Paris?
Ever means in your whole life up to the present time
Never means not ever
Ex: I have never been to Paris
Here more examples:
Have you ever played basketball? no , never
I have never ridden a motor bike in my life.
After first time, second time and etc.
We use present perfect tense. (Murphy, 2007)

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Examples: this is the first time weve been to Scotland. (So its all
new to us)
This is the second time jack has forgotten to give me a message.
I like this film, I think its the fourth time Ive seen it
Today, this weak etc.
We also use the present perfect with today and phrases
with this (this week, this morning, this year)
Examples:
We have done quite a lot of work today.
I havent watched any television so for this week.
Have you had a holiday this year?

Exercises:
1- Write these sentences, putting the verbs into the present perfect or

past simple.
2- I (read) that book three times.
3- I've read that book three times.
4- She (go) home three days ago.
5- She went home three days aqo.
6- I (meet) Mr and Mrs Shelley.
7- She (start) school in 1984.

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8- I (leave) the office early last night.

9- He (see) the film before.
10- (You be) to Austria?
11- (You see) the film on TV last night?
12- When (you arrive) in London?
13- John (be) to Germany before.
14- (You read) this book before?
15- I (not see) him yesterday.
16- I never (go) anywhere by plane until now.
17- (You hear) their new record? It's the best they've ever made.
18- I (not know) about the disco last night.

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References
Books:
Eastwood, John. Oxford Practice Grammar, second edition. New York: Oxford
University Press, 2002.
Murphy, Raymond. English Grammar in Use, third edition. New York: Cambridge
University Press, 2008.
Murphy, Raymond. Essential Grammar in Use, third edition. New York: Cambridge
University Press, 2007.

Websites:
http://www.cosmickids.gr/CK3/CK3_GB_Unit3.pdf
http://www.english-area.com/

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