Present Perfect vs Past Simple tenses. They have some similarities because they both talk about past events so they often get confused.
Zan commented on another video asking “What’s the difference between “I have washed my car” and “I washed my car”.
This is a great question and because this can be very confusing.
“I have washed my car.” Is Present Perfect and “I washed my car” is Past Simple.
These two tenses are very different but also very similar. They both talk about events that happen in the past, even though Present Perfect is a Present tense. So, you can see why they get confused. But when you understand the different meanings, you will be able tocommunicate more accurately and effectively when discussing past actions and their relationship to the present.
Present Perfect vs Past Simple: Present Simple
To begin, let’s look at when we use the Past simple tense. The Past simple tense is used to describe a specific past action that happened at a specific time in the past.
It’s formed with the simple past form of the main verb. For example, “I washed my car.” Or you could form it with the auxiliary verb ”I did wash my car.”
This sentence means that the speaker washed their car at a specific time in the past, but the time is not necessarily important. The emphasis is on the specific past event, without any connection to the present. They probably washed their car lots of times. But in this example, they are referring to a specific time.
Present Perfect vs Past Simple: Present Perfect
Now let’s look at the Present Perfect tense. The Present Perfect tense is also used to refer to a past action. So why is it called the Present Perfect? Well with the present Perfect there must also be a connection between that past event and the present. So, we are referring to the past event, but we are really talking to about how it affects the present.
It’s formed with the auxiliary verb “have” and the past participle form of the main verb. “I have washed my car.” or with the auxiliary verb ”has” if it is third person. “He has washed my car.”
This sentence means that the speaker washed their car at some point in the past, but the time is not specified. The emphasis is on the result of the action, and the connection to the present. The speaker is really telling us that their car is now clean.
Comparison
“I went to Paris in 2015.” This sentence tells us that the speaker visited Paris at a specific time in the past, which was in 2015. It doesn’t imply anything about the present and doesn’t give any information about whether the speaker has any current experience or knowledge about Paris. The speaker may have been to Paris lots of times, but here they are just talking about the specific time in 2015.
“I went to Paris in 2015.” This sentence tells us that the speaker visited Paris at a specific time in the past, which was in 2015. It doesn’t imply anything about the present and doesn’t give any information about whether the speaker has any current experience or knowledge about Paris. The speaker may have been to Paris lots of times, but here they are just talking about the specific time in 2015.
In the present Perfect, “I have been to Paris.” This sentence tells us that the speaker has visited Paris at some point in the past, but it isn’t referring to a specific event. They are saying that now they have the memory or experience of being in Paris. The speaker may have been many times.
Present Perfect: “just,” “already,” and “yet.”
It’s important to note that there are three words that are commonly used with the Present Perfect tense which modify it’s meaning slightly, these are “just,” “already,” and “yet.”
For example, “I have already eaten breakfast.” This sentence means that the speaker has eaten breakfast at some point in the recent past.
“The package has already arrived.”. “Already” implies that the action was completed earlier than expected.
We only use “yet” with negative sentences or questions, for example: “She hasn’t done her homework yet.
“ or “Has she done her homework yet?”
The word “yet” is used to indicate that an action has not been completed up to the present moment.
Summary
In summary, the Present Perfect tense is used to describe a past action that has a connection to the present, while the Past simple tense is used to describe a past action that happened at a specific time in the past. When deciding which tense to use, consider whether you are talking about a specific past action or how an event or events from the past have and effect on the present.