WORKSHEET

Name: _________________________________________

Date: _________________________________________

Present perfect vs past simple

When do we use the past simple or the present perfect?

PRESENT PERFECT PAST 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).
Yo he conocido a Julia por 10 años (todavía
la conozco)
Finished actions:
• I knew Julie for ten years (but then she moved
away and we lost touch).
Yo conocí a Julie por 10 años ( pero ella se mudó y
perdimos contacto, ahora no la conozco)

A finished action in someone's life (when the A finished action in someone's life (when the
person is still alive: life experience): person is dead):
• My brother has been to Mexico three • My great-grandmother went to Mexico three
times. times.

Mi hermano ha estado en México tres veces
( mi hermano sigue vivo: es una experiencia)
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).
Mi bisabuela fue a México tres veces (ella falleció y
ya no puede ir más veces)
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).

Yo he perdido mis llaves! (el resultado es
que no puedo entrar a mi casa)
With an unfinished time word (this week,
this month, today):
• I've seen John this week.
Perdí mis llaves ayer! (el resultado es que no podía
entrar a mi casa ayer, pero ahora tengo mis llaves)
With a finished time word (last week, last month,
yesterday):
• I saw John last week.

Yo he visto a Jhon esta semana ( va Yo ví a Jhon la semana pasada (va acompañado de

acompañado de frases como: esta semana, frases como: la semana pasada, el mes pasado,
este mes, hoy) ayer)

1. Complete with the past simple or the past perfect.

All my life I _________(a. love) to travel. When I __________(b. go) to New York in
2005, I __________(c. meet) wonderful people and I __________ (d. learn) a lot of
things. It was a great experience. I’ve never ________ (e. be) to Europe but one day I’d
like to go and travel by train and visit interesting places like Paris and Rome.
I’ve never______________ (e. be) to Europe but one day I’d like to go and travel by train
and visit interesting places like Paris and Rome. I ___________________(f. hear)
interesting things about these cities. My best friend (g. travel) with her family to Rome
last summer and she _________________(h. take) some great pictures of the Coliseum.