Past simple or present perfect

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 3

It has all been in the past ...

But how to express that in correct English?

Point of learning: the Pitfall

The English language uses different tensed expressions of the relationship between the past and the present. 

Learn the rules! It helps.

• Golden Rule 1: can you point to a certain definitive time in your diary? Then use the past simple.
• Golden rule 2: : if the sentence relates something that happened in the past to the present: use the present perfect.

Form of the past simple tense

When you want to use the past simple, you need to look for the second column of the irregular verb-list: to go- went -gone

Regular verbs use infinitive + ed: to watch -watched

Form of the present perfect tense

When you need to express a verb in the present perfect, use have/has + participle (the third column) of irregular verbs: have/has gone.

Regular verbs: infinitive + ed: have/ has watched. 

How many past simple constructions were there in the Mike Fountain text?

1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4

How many present perfect constructions are there in the Mike Fountain example?

1. 4
2. 5
3. 6
4. 7

What other tenses were used?

What indications of time clauses that indicate a indefinitive past can you think of?

Pp indicators of time

The last few years, days, months   ....

For some days (now)...

Recently /  Lately ....

Since ...... (beginning of a period)

For (the whole period) three months / days/ months.

Already... / Just...

Pitfall: I heard it just now

About 'when'...
Why is 'when' in many cases an indicator that is followed by a past simple construction?

When.... (past simple)

When I was seventeen, I loved eating pie.

When Obama was still president, the nation was more united.

His grandparents were still alive when he got married.

 

Prepositions as indications of time. Which one is the odd one out?

1. During world war II
2. For nine years
3. Since I can remember
4. Where did this happen

My solution? 

If you can add ' ....and he/she/it is still doing it' or: 

'..... and it still happens that way'  -then use the present perfect. It works in 80% of the time (so there are exceptions or ambiguities -but that is for later 😊).

Fill in (2b. BARBIE BOY):
Jian Yang is in his thirties and collects dolls. So far he _______ (spend) twenty years and over £250,000 on his collection.

1. spends
2. is spending
3. has spend
4. has spent

2: The young man from Singapore ________ (start) collecting Barbie dolls....

1. has started
2. starts
3. started
4. starting

3. ....when he ___________ (be) just thirteen.

1. has been
2. was
3. is
4. been

4. The first doll he __________ (buy) was the 'Great Shape' model in a gym outfit and leg warmers.

1. buyed
2. bought
3. has bought
4. did buy

5. Jian buys dolls when he travels for work and ________ (purchase) 65 dolls on his last trip to New York.

1. purchases
2. purchased
3. purchasis
4. has purchased

6. A while ago, a girlfriend ______(walk out) on him because of his hobby.

1. has walked out
2. walks out
3. walked out
4. is walking

7. Apparently, she _____(feel) threatened by his collection.

1. felt
2. has feeled
3. has felt
4. feeled

8. Jian ______ (find) that worrying, but now he accepts it.

1. finds
2. has find
3. has found
4. found

9. Another problem is space. He ____ already almost _____ (fill) his house.

1. fills
2. filled
3. has ...filled
4. was .....filling

10. So ____ he ever ____ (think) about stopping? No. If he runs out of space, he says, he'll buy the house next door!

1. has.... thought
2. maybe ... thinks
3. did ...think
4. was.... thinking