UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA DE MOÇAMBIQUE

INSTITUTO DE EDUCAÇÃO À DISTÂNCIA

Topic: The Differences between Past Simple Tense and Present Perfect Tense

Dino Alves Estato-708222917

Curso: Licenciatura em Ensino de

Português
Disciplina: Inglês
Ano de Frequência: 1º Ano
Turma: Ah
Docente: dr. Ilídio Jaime Quimice

Quelimane, Novembro 2022

 Classificação
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do Subtotal
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tutor
 Índice 0.5
 Introdução 0.5
Aspectos
Estrutura
organizacionais  Discussão 0.5
 Conclusão 0.5
 Bibliografia 0.5
 Contextualização
(Indicação clara do 2.0
problema)
Introdução  Descrição dos
1.0
objectivos
 Metodologia adequada
2.0
ao objecto do trabalho
 Articulação e domínio
do discurso académico
Conteúdo (expressão escrita 3.0
cuidada, coerência /
Análise e coesão textual)
discussão  Revisão bibliográfica
nacional e
2.0
internacional relevante
na área de estudo
 Exploração dos dados 2.5
 Contributos teóricos
Conclusão 2.0
práticos
 Paginação, tipo e
tamanho de letra,
Aspectos
Formatação paragrafo, 1.0
gerais
espaçamento entre
linhas
Normas APA
 Rigor e coerência das
Referências 6ª edição em
citações/referências 2.0
Bibliográficas citações e
bibliográficas
bibliografia
 A Folha para recomendações de melhoria: A ser preenchida pelo tutor

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Index

1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 3

1.1. General Objectives: ....................................................................................................... 3

1.2. Specific Objectives: ...................................................................................................... 3

1.2. Methodologies .............................................................................................................. 3

2. The Differences between Past Simple Tense and Present Perfect Tense. ........................... 4

2.1. Same vs. Different Meaning ............................................................................................. 4

2.2. Generally Same Meaning .............................................................................................. 5

2.3. Different Meaning......................................................................................................... 5

2.4. Grammar Forms ............................................................................................................ 5

3. Past Simple Tense and Present Perfect Tense ................................................................... 6

3.1. Past Simple ....................................................................................................................... 6

3.1.1. The form of the Simple Tense ........................................................................................ 7

3.2. Present Perfect .............................................................................................................. 8

3.2.1. Common expressions with present perfect: .................................................................... 9

3.2.2. Other Examples: ............................................................................................................ 9

3.2.3. The form of the Present Perfect Tense ............................................................................ 9

3.2.4. How to answer present perfect questions: ..................................................................... 10

3.3. What is the past participle? ......................................................................................... 10

4. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 12

5. Bibliographic References................................................................................................ 13
1. Introduction

This work is talking about grammar in Past Simple and Present Perfect tense, in
Grammar can help students to understand how to speak, to share, to express, or write their ideas
to other by using correct grammatical. Especially in simple past simple tense and present perfect
tenses, they will be able to tell about their daily activity, and know about the general truth. Past
Simple tense is used to indicate an action completed in the past. It often occurs with adverb of
time. Sometimes it is used without an adverb of time. Present Perfect Tense is also used when
talking about finished actions, but we do not say exactly when these actions happened. Therefore,
this tense is commonly used for talking about past experiences or for giving or getting news,
without saying when these actions happened.

1.1. General Objectives:

 To know about the Past Simple Tense and Present Perfect Tense their uses and the
structures of different forms.

1.2. Specific Objectives:

 Identify the differences between Past Simple Tense and Present Perfect Tense.
 Identify the form and the rules of using Present Simple or Present Continuous Tense.
 Identify the affirmative, negative and interrogative forms in Past Simple Tense and
Present Perfect Tense.

1.2. Methodologies
The methods is a detailed, sequential set of scientific methods and techniques to be performed throughout
the research in such a way as to achieve the objectives initially proposed and at the same time meet the
criteria of lower cost, greater speed, greater efficiency and more information accounting. The authors of
the research books those are written in bibliographic references.

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2. The Differences between Past Simple Tense and Present Perfect Tense.

Past Simple Tense:

According to Seaton, (2007), it indicates what happened (completed action) at a specific
point in the past.
e.g. Did you see the match last night?

Present Perfect Tense:

Past action where no specific time is mentioned (Martinet et al 1986):
e.g. I’ve been to Nampula twice.

There is a connection with the present:

e.g. I’ve worked here for two years. (=I still work here).

But:
e.g. I worked here for two years. (=I don’t work here anymore).

Example of contrast between Past Simple and Present Perfect:

e.g. I put an advert in the newspaper last Monday, but no one has phoned yet.

Compare:
e.g. I have read the instructions but I don’t understand them.
e.g. I read the instructions last night.

2.1. Same vs. Different Meaning

There are some cases in which using the simple past and present perfect have the same or a
different meaning. In general, simple past refers to a specific time in the past, whereas present
perfect is an unspecified time. In addition, the meaning of the sentences changes when more
specific information (e.g. dates, times) is provided. See the examples in the chart below (Martinet
et al, 1986).

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2.2. Generally Same Meaning
Simple Past
Eg. They completed the game.
Present Perfect
Eg. They have completed the game.

Both games were completed in the past, but simple past emphasizes more a completed past event.

2.3. Different Meaning

Simple Past
a) They completed the game at 5pm.
b) Ann was in Los Angeles for 3 days.

Present Perfect
a) They have completed the game.
b) Ann has been in Los Angeles for 3 days.

In Example (a), the Simple Past form means the game was completed at a specific time in
the past, whereas in Present Perfect it is an unknown time. In Example (a), the Simple Past form
means the activity started in the past and finished, whereas in Present Perfect it started in the past
and still continues to the present (Huddleston et al, 2010).

2.4. Grammar Forms

To begin forming the simple past or present perfect, it’s important to know how the verb
forms change from present, past simple, and the past participle. See how each tense is formed
below.

Past Simple Form

Regular Verbs: add -ed (walk →walked)
Irregular Verbs: Learn them (go→went)

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Present Perfect Form
3rd Person Singular (he, she, it): has + past participle
Examples: He has walked; Larry has gone

All others (I, you, we, they): have + past particle

Examples: I have spoken with him; They have finished

Regular Verbs: add -ed (same form as simple past)

Irregular Verbs: Learn them (go→gone; speak→ spoken)

3. Past Simple Tense and Present Perfect Tense

3.1. Past Simple

Form: infinitive + -ed

(Irregular forms vary considerably in their past form.).
Uses:
A) It is used for actions completed in the past at a definite time. It is therefore used (Dickie, (s/d):

1. for a past action when the time is given:

e.g. I met him yesterday.
e.g. Pasteur died in 1895.
2. or when the time is asked about:
e.g. When did you meet him?

3. Or when the action clearly took place at a definite time even though this time is not mentioned:
e.g. The train was ten minutes late.
e.g. How did you get your present job?
e.g. I bought this car in Montreal.

4. Sometimes the time becomes definite as a result of a question and answer in the present
perfect:
e.g. Where have you been? – I’ve been to the opera. – Did you enjoy it?
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e.g. Have you ever been to Australia? – Yes, I have. – When did you go?

B) The simple past tense is used for an action whose time is not given but which
a) Occupied a period of time now terminated:
e.g. He worked in that bank for four years. (but he doesn’t work there now)
e.g. She lived in Rome for a long time. (but she’s not living there now)
or
b) Occurred at a moment in a period of time now terminated:
e.g. My grandmother once saw Queen Victoria.
e.g. Did you ever hear Maria Callas sing?

C) The simple past tense is also used for a past habit:

e.g. He always carried an umbrella.
e.g. They never drank wine.

3.1.1. The form of the Simple Tense

Past Simple Positive

Subject Verb Modifier
I/You/We/They went to Quelimane
He/She/It went to Maputo
I/He/She/It was at home
You/We/They were at home

Past Simple (Negative Form)

Subject Verb Modifier
I/You/We/They did not go to Quelimane
He/She/It did not go to Maputo
I/He/She/It was not at home
You/We/They were not at home

Past Simple (Question Form)

Did (Auxiliary verb) Subject Main Verb
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Did I/you/we/they work?
Did he / she / it work?

3.2. Present Perfect

Form: Subject + have/has + past participle of the verb.
Uses:
1. According to Huddleston et al, (2010), an action that began in the past and continues until the
present:
e.g. I have lived in London for two years. (=I still live in London)
e.g. How long have you been there? (=You are still there).

2. For recent actions when time is not mentioned.

e.g. I have read the instructions but I don’t understand them.
e.g. I’ve already had dinner.
e.g. Have you had breakfast? – No, I haven’t had it yet.

3. Recent actions in the present perfect often have results in the present:
e.g. Tom has had a bad car crash. (=He’s probably still in hospital)
e.g. The lift has broken down. (=We have to use the stairs)
e.g. I have washed the car. (=It looks lovely)

 But actions expressed by the simple past without a time expression do not normally have
results in the present:
e.g. Tom had a bad car crash. (=but he’s probably out of hospital now)
e.g. The lift broke down. (=but it’s probably working again now)
e.g. I washed the car. (=but it may be dirty again now)

4. An action that has happened very recently in time. In this case, we use ‘just’ (Huddleston et al,
2010):
e.g. The plane has just taken off.
e.g. He has just gone out. (=He went out a few minutes ago)

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5. Actions that occur further back in the past provided that the connection with the present is still
maintained:
e.g. I have seen wolves in that forest (=it is still possible to see them)
e.g. John Smith has written a number of short stories (=he’s still alive and can write more)
But if the wolves have been killed and John Smith is dead we would say:
e.g. I saw wolves in that forest.
e.g. John Smith wrote a number of short stories.

3.2.1. Common expressions with present perfect:

Ever, never, just, yet, already, recently, lately, how long…?, since, for
Actions expressed by the present perfect + yet usually have results in the present (Seaton, 2007):
e.g. He hasn’t come yet. (=so we are still waiting for him)

3.2.2. Other Examples:

e.g. The plane has just taken off.
e.g. How long have you studied for the test?
e.g. How long have you lived here?
e.g. I have taken pictures of famous actors for two years.
e.g. We have recently moved home.
e.g. She has been here since six o’clock (and is still here)
e.g. He has been here recently (recently means ‘at some undefined time during the last
week/month, etc’).

3.2.3. The form of the Present Perfect Tense

Present Perfect Positive

Subject Have / Has Past Participle
I / you / we / they have written
he / she / it has written
Examples:
a) I have written three books.
b) He has just woken up.

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Present Perfect Negative
Subject Haven’t / Hasn’t Past Participle
I / you / we / they haven’t seen
he / she / it hasn’t seen
Examples:
a) I haven’t seen John this week.
b) Mary hasn’t come to class for the past two days.

Present Perfect Questions

Have / Has Subject Past Participle
Have I / you / we / they finished?
Has he / she / it finished?
Examples:
a) Have you finished the project yet?
b) Has George ever been to New York?

3.2.4. How to answer present perfect questions:

 Have you been to London?

Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t.
 Has Alex met Miriam yet?
Yes, he has. / No, he hasn’t.
 Have the results of the election been announced?
Yes, they have. / No, they haven’t.

3.3. What is the past participle?

According to Huddleston (2010), the past participle is a form of the verb that describes a
completed action or state.

For regular verbs, the past participle is the same as the simple past:
• I worked (simple past) all day yesterday.
• I’ve worked (past participle) here since August.
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This is also the case for many irregular verbs:
• He sold (simple past) his car last week.
• He’s sold (past participle) 200 books so far.

However, some irregular verbs’ past participles are different from their simple past form:
• We wrote (simple past) an article for the newspaper.

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4. Conclusion
The differences between Past Simple Tense and Present Perfect are The Past Simple Tense,
we use to talk about any action or event that has already happened. Moreover, we use Past Simple
Tense when we know the exact or specific details of the time of the events (such as yesterday),
the previous winter, last year, five hours ago and so on. In other words, the event is already over
and finished. While the present perfect tense, we use it to talk about events that have already
happened. These events may be ongoing or completed but usually, the events took place recently
and the time is unspecified.

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5. Bibliographic References

Dickie, A. (s/d). English Year I: Universidade Católica de Moçambique (UCM). Beira - Sofala

Huddleston, R. & Geoffrey, K. P. (2010). A Student’s Introduction to English Grammar, New

York: Cambridge University Press: p.1.

Martinet & Thomson. (1986). A Practical English Grammar (4th edition), New York: Oxford
University Press.

Seaton, A. (2007). Basic English Grammar: Educational Publishing, United States of America.
Available in Web site: www.sdlback.com.

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