COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE PAST TENSE

AND THE PRESENT PERFECT

I. GENERALITIES
Both Past Tense and Present Perfect are tenses of the Indicative: Past
Tense expresses a completed action happening in the past, whereas Present
Perfect expresses a past action with a present relevance, happening within a period
of time stretching between the past and the present.
II. STRUCTURE
Past Tense is the second basic form of the verb, the same as the past
participle for the regular verbs (the suffix -ED), without suffixes (except the verb to
be):
I came
I turned
I was
you came
you turned
you were
he came
he turned
he was
we came
we turned
we were
you came
you turned
you were
they came
they turned
they were
The negative and the interrogative are formed with the auxiliary to do in the
Past Tense (did):
I did not see I didnt see
Did you pay?
Did he not come? Didnt he come?
Present Perfect is formed with the auxiliary to have in the Present Tense and
the Past Participle of the verb:
I have arrived
Ive arrived
you have arrived
youve arrived
he has arrived
hes arrived
etc.
The negative and interrogative are formed with the negation not and by
inversion, without any other auxiliary.
I have not finished I havent finished
Ive not finished
Has he found?
Have you not told? Havent you told?

III. Usage
1. Past Tense is used to express a concluded past action, that happened at a definite
moment or over a definite period of time in the past and is used with such time
expressions as: yesterday, the day before yesterday, last week/month/year/
Christmas/Sunday/June, [] hours/days/weeks/months/years ago, then, back then,
at that time, at that moment, in those times, in the past, previously, formerly, etc. or
with precise time determinations:
He graduated in 1998.
They came at 3 oclock.
It happened on February 20th.
Present Perfect is used to express an indefinite past action, which has a
certain relevance for the present. There is no definite time expression.
They have arrived.
Have you seen my umbrella?
He has painted this portrait.
2. Past Tense is used to express a sequence of past actions:
They arrived at 10, made some coffee, talked for a while, then started to work.
3. Past Tense is used with time clauses connected by when or with when in
interrogative sentences:
He came when I wasnt there.
When did you see him?
Present Perfect is used with how long:
How long have you known about it?
4. Present Perfect expresses a past action which happened a relatively short time
before the present. In this case, we use just (= tocmai):
They have just left.
BUT: They left a minute ago.
5. Present Perfect is used to express an action beginning at a moment in the past
and going on up to the present. In this case, we use for and since expressions:
I have known her for a lifetime.
He has lived here since 1992.
We havent seen each other since he moved to Glasgow.
Expressions used with Present Perfect are: for ages, for a long time, for a
while, since then, ever since, so far/up to now/until now, lately, recently, in
recent/late days/weeks/months/years, these last (few) days/weeks/months/years

6. Present Perfect is used to express an action happening within an unfinished

period of time. It is used with such time expressions as: today, this morning/
afternoon/evening/week/month/year
I have worked a lot this morning. [it is still morning now]
BUT: I worked a lot this morning. [it is past 12 now]
7. Present Perfect is used to express a past action with an effect upon the present.
I cant read. I have lost my glasses.
8. Present Perfect expresses a repeated past action, which is likely to happen
again. In this case, we use adverbial expressions of frequency: repeatedly,
frequently, once, once or twice, twice, three/four/five etc. times, several times, many
times, a few times, countless times, etc.
I have repeatedly asked them to stop.
He has brought her flowers once or twice.
9. There are some adverbs of frequency which are very often used with Present
Perfect, but they can also be used with Past Tense: ever, never, always, already,
often, rarely, seldom, yet.
He has always been a coward.
They have already sold their house.
He hasnt made any decision yet.
Ive seldom thought about it.
10. Past Perfect is used to refer to a creator/scientist/personality who is still alive
and Past Tense if we refer to somebody who is dead.
Norman Miler has written a number of controversial novels.
[Norman Miler is still alive.]
BUT: James Joyce wrote Ulysses. [James Joyce is dead]
Einstein made known the theory of relativity in 1905.
11. Present Perfect is used to introduce an item of news in the press/on TV/on the
radio, but Past Tense is used when the reporter/broadcaster enters into details.
A terrible accident has happened on the A20. Several people
were killed when a truck collided with a van. Ambulances arrived too
late to save any of them.