Talking about the Present and Past: Past Simple, Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect Continuous
As seen on the previous page, certain tenses can cause problems for learners of English and this is certainly true for perfect forms. French learners, for example, may use the present perfect simple in speech and informal writing (I have been to the cinema yesterday) when the past simple should be used in English (I went to the cinema yesterday). Turkish speakers often use present simple to say how long things have been happening (I live here since 8 years) but, again, English requires the present perfect (I‘ve lived here since 8 years). These are just a couple of examples of common errors C1 learners often make and the aim of this lesson is to build on your understanding of present perfect forms and when to use them.
In English, perfect verb forms are used to link two times. When using the present perfect aspect, the speaker is usually looking back from the present to the past. In other words, the present perfect simple and present perfect continuous link the past and the present in a number of different ways. It is important to note, however, that the present perfect simple can also be used after certain time adverbs to reference the future. The forms are as follows:
- Present Perfect Simple – subject + have / has (he/she/it) + past participle
- Past Perfect Continuous – subject + have / has (he/she/it) + been + gerund
Below is a summary of the rules regarding present perfect simple and present perfect continuous. These contrast the context in which it is appropriate to use each and also refer to the difference in meaning between present perfect simple and past simple.
Let’s start off our practice exercises by looking at the difference between present perfect simple and present perfect continuous. Fill the gaps with the correct verb form using the words in the box. There may be more than one possible answer. Each verb is used twice.
eat / play / read / let / kick / check / call
Now let’s look at the difference in meaning between present perfect simple and past simple. Drag the text to the correct box.
In the following exercise, decide whether present perfect simple or past simple fills the gap.
Finally, decide whether the following verbs in bold refer to the past or the future. If they refer to the past and are correct, fill the box with R (right).If you think they are wrong and the present perfect should replace the past simple, fill the gap with W (wrong).