Present Perfect vs Past Simple: Rules, Examples and Exercises

Present perfect vs past simple: quick comparison

Compare these past simple and present perfect examples:

I have lost my keys.

The keys are still missing now.

I lost my keys yesterday.

The speaker tells us when the event happened. We do not know whether the keys are still missing.

The structures are also different.

Present perfect:

subject + have/has + past participle

She has finished her work.

Past simple:

subject + past-tense verb

She finished her work at 4 p.m.

For regular verbs, the past simple and past participle usually end in -ed. Irregular verbs can have different forms:

When to use the present perfect

Experiences without a specific past time

Use the present perfect to talk about experiences when you do not say exactly when they happened.

I have travelled to Japan.

Have you ever eaten British fish and chips?

She has never driven a car.

The experience is important, but the exact time is not.

Do not add a finished-time expression such as last year or in 2022 to these sentences.

Incorrect:

I have travelled to Japan last year.

Correct:

I travelled to Japan last year.

Recent actions with a present result

Use the present perfect when a past action has a clear result now.

He has broken his glasses.

His glasses are still broken.

We have missed the bus.

The bus has left, and we cannot catch it now.

Someone has eaten my sandwich.

The sandwich is no longer there.

Unfinished time periods

Use the present perfect when the time period includes the present and has not finished.

I have answered six emails today.

Today is not finished.

We have had three meetings this week.

The week is still continuing.

She has read four books this month.

The month has not ended.

However, once the time period finishes, use the past simple:

I answered six emails yesterday.

We had three meetings last week.

Situations continuing until now

Use the present perfect with for and since when a situation began in the past and continues in the present.

I have lived in Taiwan for seven years.

She has worked here since 2021.

We have known each other for a long time.

Use for with a length of time:

for two hours
for six months
for several years

Use since with the starting point:

since Monday
since 2020
since I left university

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When to use the past simple

Finished actions at a specific past time

Use the past simple when the sentence states or clearly implies when the action happened.

I saw Daniel yesterday.

They moved house in 2023.

She called me ten minutes ago.

The time is finished and separate from the present.

Completed actions in a finished period

Use the past simple with finished periods such as last week, yesterday morning or when you were younger.

I went to the gym twice last week.

He did not sleep well last night.

We lived in Manchester when I was a child.

Even without an exact date, the context may make the time period clear:

Did you enjoy your holiday?

The holiday has finished.

A sequence of completed past events

Use the past simple to tell stories or describe actions in chronological order.

I woke up, made some coffee and checked my messages.

She entered the room, sat down and opened her laptop.

Each action finished before the next action happened.

When a longer action was already in progress before a shorter event happened, you may need the past continuous tense instead.

Past habits or situations that are no longer true

Use the past simple for habits and states that belonged to a finished period.

I played football every weekend at school.

She worked in a bank before becoming a teacher.

They lived near the station for five years.

The final example suggests that they do not live there now. Compare it with:

They have lived near the station for five years.

This means they still live there.

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Time expressions that change the tense

Certain expressions commonly appear with one tense, although the meaning and context are more important than memorising a list.

Common present perfect expressions

• ever
• never
• just
• already
• yet
• recently
• lately
• so far
• up to now
• since
• for

Examples:

Have you finished yet?

I have already sent the document.

We have not received a reply so far.

She has recently started a new job.

Common past simple expressions

• yesterday
• last night, week, month or year
• ago
• in 2018
• on Monday
• when I was younger
• at 3 p.m.

Examples:

We spoke on Monday.

He left two hours ago.

I started university in 2016.

Some expressions can be used with either tense depending on whether the period is finished.

I have had two cups of coffee this morning.

The morning is still continuing.

I had two cups of coffee this morning.

The morning has finished.

Common learner mistakes

Using the present perfect with a finished past time

Incorrect:

I have met her last year.

Correct:

I met her last year.

The phrase last year refers to a finished time.

Using the past simple for an unfinished situation

Incorrect when the person still works there:

I worked here for six years.

Correct:

I have worked here for six years.

The present perfect shows that the employment continues now.

Using the base verb instead of the past participle

Incorrect:

She has went home.

Correct:

She has gone home.

The present perfect requires have or has + past participle.

Forgetting have or has

Incorrect:

He finished already.

In British English, the more natural form is:

He has already finished.

Confusing a life experience with a specific event

Have you ever visited Scotland?

This asks about the person’s life experience.

Did you visit Scotland during your trip?

This asks about one specific finished trip.

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Present perfect vs past simple exercises

Choose the correct form of the verb in brackets.

1. I __________ that film three times. (see)
2. We __________ to York last weekend. (go)
3. She __________ her report yet. (not finish)
4. They __________ in Singapore from 2018 to 2021. (live)
5. __________ you ever __________ a horse? (ride)
6. He __________ me twenty minutes ago. (call)
7. I __________ my wallet. Can you help me look for it? (lose)
8. My parents __________ each other since university. (know)
9. The meeting __________ at 10 a.m. and finished at midday. (start)
10. We __________ several important changes this year. (make)
11. Sarah __________ her new job in January. (begin)
12. I __________ any coffee today. (not have)

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Answers and explanations

1. have seen
   The exact times are not stated. This is a life experience up to now.
2. went
   Last weekend is a finished past-time expression.
3. has not finished
   Yet commonly appears with the present perfect in negative sentences and questions.
4. lived
   The period from 2018 to 2021 is finished.
5. Have, ridden
   Ever asks about an experience at any time up to the present.
6. called
   Twenty minutes ago refers to a specific finished past time.
7. have lost
   The result is important now because the wallet is still missing.
8. have known
   The relationship began in the past and continues now.
9. started
   The sentence gives a specific past time and describes a completed meeting.
10. have made
    This year is treated as an unfinished period.
11. began
    In January identifies a finished point in the past.
12. have not had
    Today is unfinished, so the present perfect is appropriate.

The most reliable way to choose between the present perfect and past simple is to consider the time and the present connection. Use the past simple for completed events in a finished past period. Use the present perfect for experiences, unfinished periods, continuing situations and past actions that still matter now.

Related Grammar Lessons

• Present Perfect Tense: Rules, Examples and Exercises
• Past Simple Tense: Rules, Examples and Exercises
• Past Continuous Tense: Rules and Examples