Past Simple

- STRUCTURE:

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE INTERROGATIVE

SUBJECT + VERB SUBJECT + DIDN’T + VERB DID + SUBJECT + VERB?

(base form) (base form)

REGULAR VERBS I didn’t play football yesterday. Did you play football last week?
+ed
I played football yesterday. Emma didn’t write a letter last SHORT ANSWER:
week. Yes, I did. / No, I didn’t.
IRREGULAR VERBS
2nd column
Emma wrote a letter last week.

- TIME EXPRESSIONS:

• Expressions with ago (a year ago)

• Expressions with last (last week, last month…)
• In the past, yesterday…

Present Perfect
- STRUCTURE:

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE INTERROGATIVE

SUBJ. + HAVE/HAS + P.P.* SUBJ. + HAVEN’T/HASN’T + HAVE/HAS + SUBJ.+ P.P.?

P.P.

I have played/thought I haven’t played/thought Have I played/thought?

You have played/thought You haven’t played/thought Have you played/thought?

He/she/it has played/thought He/she/it hasn’t played/ Has he/she/it played/thought?

We have played/thought thought Have we played/thought?

You have played/thought We haven’t played/thought Have you played/thought?

They have played/thought You haven’t played/thought Have they played/thought?

They haven’t played/thought

*P.P. = PAST PARTICIPLE (irregular verbs -> 3rd column / regular Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t.
verbs -> +ed)
Yes, she has. / No, she hasn’t.

TIME EXPRESSIONS:

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE INTERROGATIVE

NEVER EVER EVER

(between have/has and p.p.) (between have/has and p.p.) (between have/has and p.p)
I have never done it. I haven’t ever watched that film. Have you ever travelled abroad?

ALREADY YET (at the end of the sentence) YET (at the end of the sentence)
(between have/has and p.p.) I haven’t finished my task yet. Have you finished yet?
We’ve already finished.

FOR (followed by a period of time)

My sister has worked in this office for ten years.

SINCE (followed by a precise moment in time)

My sister has worked in this office since 2011.

RECENTLY (at the end of the sentence)

Have you talked to Lisa recently?

- USE (comparison):

Past Simple Present Perfect

To express completed actions in the past.
I worked for Greenpeace from 2003 to
2014.
To talk about actions that started in the past
and continue in the present.
I have worked for Greenpeace since 2014.
For something that happened in the past
but is important at the time of speaking.
I can’t get in the house. I’ve lost my keys.