What is the present perfect simple and how to use it? Talking about events in the recent past that still have an effect on the present moment.
Formed with "have"
To give new information or ways:
I have arrived in England. My plane landed ten minutes ago.
I have not...
I have...
Talk about repeated actions that continue to happen over a period of time:
I have visited London every year since 2014.
You have...
They have...
To talk about an event that has started in the past and is still happening now:
James has brought some breakfast.
She has...
They have...
How to form:
Subject Have/Has Past Participle Rest of sentence
I Have Arrived In Mexico City
We use different conjunctions for different participles.
Regular past participles- normally add +ed/ Irregular Past Participles - some are said differently.
Ask Asked
Call Called
Help Helped
Need Needed
Play Played
Talk Talked
Walk Walked
Want Wanted
Watch Watched
Work Worked
Be Been
Buy Bought
Come Come
Do Done
Have Had
Give Given
Go Gone
Make Made
Say Said
See Seen
Avoid the mistake: do not mix up past simple forms with past participles.
I have seen a lot of amazing things here = right, the past participle form, not the past simple tense.
I have saw lots of amazing things here = wrong.
You have played a lot = right
You have plays a lot = wrong
They walked from here to here = right
They walk from here to there = wrong
Gone/Been
Be and Go an both used in the present perfect to talk about going somewhere but they have different meanings.
I have not seen Tom recently, where is he?
He's gone to Spain
He is still in Spain
Hello Tom, you are looking healthy.
Thank you, I've been to Spain
He went to Spain and now is back home.
Where is James?
a. He's gone...
b. He's been...
Where is the cat?
a. It's gone...
b. It's been...
The past simple is used to talk about something that happened at a definitive time. (specific point in time)
Have you been to Spain?
...Yes, I visited in 2018
The present perfect is used when a particulate time is not specified.
Have you been to Spain?
...Yes, I have been to Spain many times
Past Simple Present Perfect
I saw a great movie last week I haven't seen that movie
James didn't climb Mount Fuji last year Steve has climbed Mount Fuji twice
Jessica ate too much last night James hasn't eaten curry before.
US and UK is often different
No lunch for me! I ate too much (US)
No lunch for me! I've eaten too much (UK)
I can't find my cat. Did you see it? (US)
I can't find my cat. Have you seen it? (UK)
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