Present Perfect vs Past Simple
Present Perfect Simple
Unfinished actions that started in the past and
continue to the present:
I've known Julie for ten years (and I still know her).
I have lived in Chicago for 10 years.(I still live in
Chicago.)
We use "for + total time" and "since + starting time"
with these sentences to show how long the action has
continued.
We have known each other since high school.
I have studied English for a long time.
It is possible to use "since + clause".
We have known each other since we were babies.
I have liked baseball since I was a little kid.
Time of an action is not important or not specified.
Used to talk about experiences (recent experiences
or life experiences).
I have lived in Lyon.
She has visited many countries.
Have you ever been to Japan?
I have been to Europe recently.
For actions which started in the past and are still
happening now OR for finished actions, which have
a connection to the present, or it is something that
happens regularly.
The sun has risen. (We know that the sun already rose,
and it is still in the sky now.)
Jackson has eaten lunch. (Jackson started and finished
eating lunch in the past, but lunchtime is still going on.
Someone might say this when others are preparing to
eat lunch, and they want to know whether Jackson will
join them.)
We cannot use a specific time with the present
perfect tense, but we can tell how many times.
I have been to Brazil 3 times.
Past Simple
Finished actions: (action started in the past,
finished in the past, and is not continuing now)
 I knew Julie for ten years (but then she moved
away and we lost touch).
 I lived in Chicago for 10 years, now I live in San
Diego
Time expressions:
Yesterday
Last month/week
2 years AGO
In 2000
Details about the time or place that an action
occurred are given or requested
I lived in Lyon in 1989.
Past events or actions which have no
connection to the present
The sun rose at 6:00 am. (We know that the sun
came up at a time in the past and it is not rising
now. The sun may or may not be in the sky when
this statement is made. The time is important to
add.)
Jackson ate lunch early. (Eating lunch has started
and ended in the past. Someone might say this
when the time for eating lunch has also ended.
Lunch happened early, and it is over now.)
We can also tell the number of times with past
tense sentences. We usually do this when we
are telling the number of times and a specific
time.
I visited Australia two times in 2015.

For actions finished very recently
The company has just announced their sales results
A finished action in someone's life (when the person
is still alive: life experience):
 My brother has been to Mexico three times.
A finished action with a result in the present:
 I've lost my keys! (The result is that I can't get into my 
house now).
With an unfinished time word (this week, this month,
today):
 I've seen John this week.
In these situations, we can use either the past
tense or the present perfect tense
The company just announced their sales results.
A finished action in someone's life (when the
person is dead):
 My great-grandmother went to Mexico three times.
A finished action with no result in the present:
I lost my keys yesterday. It was terrible! (Now there
is no result. I got new keys yesterday).
With a finished time word (last week, last month,
yesterday):
 I saw John last week.