Homework

Date: DEC.05.22
Name: Katherine Cantos
Instructions: Surf the internet and find the difference between the simple past with the present
perfect tense. Give examples.
Grammar

Use the simple past when the action started in the past, finished in the past, and is not continuing
now. Use the present perfect when the action started in the past and is continuing now.

The simple past tells us that an action happened at a certain time in the past and is not
continuing anymore. It doesn't tell us anything about when an action happened, so more
information needs to be given with this verb form, such as when the action took place.

The present perfect tells us that an action started in the past and it is still happening now, or it is
something that happens regularly. We may need more information to tell us how long it has been
going on. It may also tell us that the time period it started in is still going on.

The following example sentences show the different meanings when using the two verb tenses.

 The sun rose at 6:00 am. (Simple Past: 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.)
 The sun has risen. (Present perfect: We know that the sun already rose, and it is still in
the sky now.)
 Jackson ate lunch early. (Simple Past: 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.)
 Jackson has eaten lunch. (Present Perfect: Jackson started and finished eating lunch in
the past, but lunch time 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.)

There is also a difference in attitude between the two tenses, which is often an important factor
in choosing which tense to use.

 "What did you do at school today?" I use the simple past tense because the question is
about activities, and the school day is considered finished.
 "What have you done at school today?" I use the present perfect because the question is
about results: « show me ». The time at which the question is asked is considered as a
continuation of the school day.
 Bibliographic:

Present perfect vs. simple past | EF | Global Site. (s. f.). https://www.ef.com/wwen/english-

resources/english-grammar/present-perfect-vs-simple-past