Present Perfect
or Past Simple?
I've seen the film vs I saw it yesterday — choose the right tense, then practise.
Show rules
Differences in use
| present perfect | past simple | |
|---|---|---|
| single / repeated actions | date not known or not important: I've driven an automatic car before. We've been to the theatre many times. | at a definite past time: I drove a racing car in the summer. We went to the theatre twice last month. |
| time expressions | before, ever, already, just, yet, so far, this morning, today | yesterday, last month, in 2007, ago |
| situations | started in past, still continuing (for/since): Tom has worked here for ten years. (still there) | started and finished in past: Alex worked here for ten years. (not there now) |
| completed actions in a period | period still continuing: He's sold fifteen cars this month. | period finished: He sold twenty cars in August. |
The same form means very different things depending on whether the period is finished:
I made several calls this morning. (now it's afternoon)
I've made several calls this morning. (still morning)
Giving news
Use the present perfect to introduce new information, then switch to the past simple for the details:
'Julian has passed his driving test.' 'Oh, that's good news!' He took it on Wednesday.
The Terracotta Army exhibition has opened in Paris. It was opened by the Minister of Culture.
I've decided to get a new car. I'm going to look at some tomorrow.
News reports often start a new item with the present perfect, then add details in the past simple.
Common mistakes
| ❌ | ✅ |
|---|---|
| Jane has passed her driving test last week. | Jane passed her driving test last week. (last week → past simple) |
| Rick has finished the course six months ago. | Rick finished the course six months ago. (ago → past simple) |
| When has he got here? | When did he get here? (when + specific → past simple) |
| Steve did this job since he was twenty-two. | Steve 's done this job since he was twenty-two. (since → present perfect) |
| Tom worked here for ten years and he loves it. | Tom has worked here for ten years and he loves it. (still works → present perfect) |
Frequently Asked Questions
When do you use present perfect and when past simple?
Use past simple when the time is finished or specified: 'I saw it yesterday', 'in 2020', 'two weeks ago'. Use present perfect when the time is not finished or not mentioned: 'I've seen it', 'this morning' (still morning), 'since 2010', 'for ten years' (still continuing). Common past-simple markers: yesterday, last week, ago, in 2007. Common present-perfect markers: before, ever, already, just, yet, so far, this morning/week/year, since, for + still going on.
Why is 'Jane has passed her driving test last week' wrong?
'Last week' is a finished, specified time, so it requires past simple: 'Jane passed her driving test last week.' The same applies to 'yesterday', 'in 2020', 'two weeks ago', 'when I was a child' — all need past simple. Present perfect doesn't go with finished time markers.
How does the news-introduction pattern work?
Introduce new information with the present perfect, then switch to the past simple for the details. For example: 'Julian has passed his driving test. He took it on Wednesday.' Or 'The exhibition has opened in Paris. It was opened by the Minister of Culture.' News reports follow the same pattern.
Why does 'for ten years' sometimes take present perfect and sometimes past simple?
If the situation is still continuing now, use present perfect: 'Tom has worked here for ten years' (he still works here). If the situation is finished, use past simple: 'Alex worked here for ten years' (he doesn't work here now). 'For + period' alone doesn't decide the tense — the question is whether the situation continues now.