Present perfect vs past simple, explained
Use the past simple for an event at a finished time, a time that is over: yesterday, last week, in 2019, when I was a child. Use the present perfect (have + past participle) for a past event connected to now: an experience with no time given, a result that still matters, a period that has not ended (today, this week), or a situation that runs up to now with for or since. "I've lived in Paris for five years" means you still live there; "I lived in Paris for five years" means you no longer do.
Updated 24 October 2026
Present perfect and past simple in one table
Both tenses talk about the past. The difference is where the speaker stands. The past simple looks at the past from outside, as a closed box with a time on it. The present perfect looks at the past from now, and says something about the present: what you have done in your life so far, what state things are in, how long something has gone on.
| Use | Tense | Example | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| A finished time (yesterday, last year, in 2019) | past simple | We met in 2019. | The time is over. |
| A story: one past event after another | past simple | She opened the door and walked in. | Each event is finished. |
| A question with when or what time | past simple | When did you arrive? | You are asking for a finished time. |
| A duration that has ended | past simple | He worked there for two years. | He no longer works there. |
| An experience, with no time given | present perfect | I've never tried sushi. | At any time in my life up to now. |
| A result that matters now | present perfect | Someone has taken my bike. | The bike is gone now. |
| A period that is not over | present perfect | I've had three coffees today. | Today is still going on. |
| A duration up to now (for, since) | present perfect | We've known each other since school. | We still know each other. |
| Recent news, with just, already, yet | present perfect | The match has just started. | It started a moment ago. |
The past simple: a finished time
The past simple (saw, went, lived, did you see?) places an event at a time that is over. Often the sentence names that time: yesterday, last week, two days ago, in 2019, when I was a child, on my birthday. Sometimes the time is only understood, because both speakers know which occasion they mean: "Did you enjoy the film?" after the cinema, or "Who painted this?" about a picture by an artist long dead.
This is also the tense of storytelling. Once a conversation has a time on it, every event that follows is in the past simple, one after another: "I got up late, missed the bus and arrived at ten."
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I saw her at the station yesterday: the meeting belongs to a day that is over.
Select a word to see why it is there.
sawVerb“saw”
- Why this word
- Past simple of see (irregular)
- Past simple, because the sentence names a finished time. "I have seen her yesterday" is wrong: the present perfect cannot sit with a time that is over.
- Dictionary
- see · verb — to notice with the eyes; to meet
In this sentence
- saw · Verb:
- Past simple, because the sentence names a finished time. "I have seen her yesterday" is wrong: the present perfect cannot sit with a time that is over.
- yesterday · Adverb:
- A finished-time word. It closes the event off in the past, so it locks the verb into the past simple, wherever it stands in the sentence.
Here is the one rule with no exceptions: the present perfect never combines with an expression of finished time. Not "I have seen him yesterday", not "She has left school in 2015", not "When have you arrived?". This is the error speakers of German, Italian and French make most, because their own compound past (gestern habe ich gesehen, ieri ho visto, hier j'ai vu) happily takes yesterday. English does not. A question with when asks for a finished time, so it takes the past simple too.
- They got married in 2008.A year that is over: past simple.
- I didn't sleep well last night.Last night is finished, even if you are still tired.
- When did you buy that coat?When asks for a finished time: past simple.
The present perfect: experience and results
The present perfect is have or has plus the past participle: I've seen, she has gone, have you tried? It talks about the past, but its point is the present. Its two commonest jobs are experience and result.
Experience means "at some time in my life up to now", with no time given. The words ever (in questions) and never are its usual companions. As soon as the conversation moves to when, where or how it happened, it switches to the past simple: "Have you ever been to Japan?" "Yes, I have. I went there in 2018."
?
Have you ever been to Japan? At any time in your life, up to now.
Select a word to see why it is there.
HaveAuxiliary“have”
- Why this word
- Auxiliary have, present tense: forms the present perfect
- The auxiliary of the present perfect, moved in front of the subject to make a question. Its present form is what ties the experience to now.
- Dictionary
- have · auxiliary verb — used with a past participle to form perfect tenses
In this sentence
- Have · Auxiliary:
- The auxiliary of the present perfect, moved in front of the subject to make a question. Its present form is what ties the experience to now.
- been · Verb:
- Been to a place means you went and came back: a visit. "Have you gone to Japan?" would ask whether you are there now, an odd thing to ask someone standing in front of you.
- ever · Adverb:
- Ever means "at any time up to now". It gives no date, which is exactly why the verb is in the present perfect; it sits between the subject and the participle.
Result means a past action whose effect you can see now. "I've lost my keys" says the keys are still missing: that is why you are standing outside the door. "I lost my keys last week" is just a fact about last week; you may have found them since. The same goes for "She's broken her leg" (it is in plaster) against "She broke her leg skiing in March" (the story of how).
- I've never ridden a motorbike.Experience: not once in my life up to now.
- She's been to Mexico twice.Two visits; she is back now.
- He's gone to Mexico.He is in Mexico now, or on his way.
- Someone has eaten my sandwich!Result: the sandwich is gone now.
Unfinished time, and for and since
A period that has not ended takes the present perfect: today, this week, this year, so far, recently, in the last few days. "I've had three coffees today" is said while today is still going on. The time of day can decide it: "I haven't seen Tom this morning" at eleven o'clock, but "I didn't see Tom this morning" at four in the afternoon, when the morning is over.
The same idea covers a situation that started in the past and is still true. English uses the present perfect here, never the present: "I've lived here for ten years", not "I live here for ten years". For gives the length of the period (for ten years, for a week, for ages). Since gives the starting point (since 2019, since Monday, since I was a child). With verbs of activity, the present perfect continuous is common too: "I've been learning English for three years." With state verbs such as be, know, have (own) and like, use the simple form: "I've known her since school."
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She started working here in 2019 and she still works here.
Select a word to see why it is there.
workedVerb“worked”
- Why this word
- Past participle of work
- Has worked covers the whole stretch from 2019 to today, and she still works here. "She worked here since 2019" is not English, because since needs a period that runs up to now.
- Dictionary
- work · verb — to have a job; to do a job
- Alternatives
- been working (present perfect continuous: same meaning, stresses the activity)
In this sentence
- worked · Verb:
- Has worked covers the whole stretch from 2019 to today, and she still works here. "She worked here since 2019" is not English, because since needs a period that runs up to now.
- has · Auxiliary:
- The present tense of the auxiliary is what reaches forward to now. Speakers of other languages often use the plain present here ("she works here since 2019"), which English does not allow.
- since · Preposition:
- Since names the point the period started from, here a year. For a length of time use for: "for six years", never "since six years".
| for + a length | since + a starting point |
|---|---|
| for ten minutes | since half past six |
| for three days | since Monday |
| for six months | since March |
| for years | since I was a child |
Explain for and since at your levelwith Plus
Just, already and yet, in British and American English
Just, already and yet all measure a recent event against now, so in British English they normally go with the present perfect. Just means a moment ago: "I've just got home." Already says something happened, often sooner than expected: "She's already finished the book." Yet appears in questions and negatives and means "up to now", for something you expect to happen: "Have you replied yet?", "He hasn't called yet." Just and already sit between the auxiliary and the participle; yet goes at the end.
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Has the train left yet? The speaker expects it to leave and asks whether, up to now, it has.
Select a word to see why it is there.
yetAdverb“so far, by now”
- Why this word
- Adverb of time, used in questions and negatives
- Yet means "up to now" and implies the speaker expects the train to leave at some point. It belongs at the end of the question, and in British English it calls for the present perfect.
- Dictionary
- yet · adverb — until now; by this time
- Alternatives
- already (surprise that it has left so soon)
In this sentence
- yet · Adverb:
- Yet means "up to now" and implies the speaker expects the train to leave at some point. It belongs at the end of the question, and in British English it calls for the present perfect.
- Has · Auxiliary:
- The present perfect auxiliary, moved before the subject to make the question. American speakers may also ask "Did the train leave yet?"
American English is different here. In the United States the past simple with just, already and yet is common and fully standard, in speech and in writing: "Did you eat yet?", "I already told him", "She just left." The present perfect is also used, so British forms are always understood. British speakers say "I just saw him" casually as well, but in British English, and in exams based on it, the present perfect is the safe choice with these three words.
| British English | American English (also common) |
|---|---|
| Have you eaten yet? | Did you eat yet? |
| I've already told him. | I already told him. |
| She's just left. | She just left. |
I've lived in Paris vs I lived in Paris
These two sentences differ by one short sound, and they say opposite things about where you live today. Both give a duration with for. The tense decides whether that duration reaches the present or ended somewhere in the past.
.
I moved to Paris five years ago and I still live there.
Select a word to see why it is there.
'veAuxiliary“have”
- Why this word
- Contracted auxiliary have, present tense
- The short form of have. It turns lived into a present perfect, so the five years stretch up to now: the speaker still lives in Paris. Drop it and the period is over.
- Dictionary
- have · auxiliary verb — used with a past participle to form perfect tenses
- Alternatives
- have (full form, for emphasis or in careful writing)
In this sentence
- 've · Auxiliary:
- The short form of have. It turns lived into a present perfect, so the five years stretch up to now: the speaker still lives in Paris. Drop it and the period is over.
.
I spent five years in Paris, and I no longer live there.
Select a word to see why it is there.
livedVerb“lived”
- Why this word
- Past simple of live
- Past simple: the five years are finished, so the speaker lives somewhere else now. A listener will naturally ask "Where do you live now?" or "When did you leave?"
- Dictionary
- live · verb — to have your home in a place
- Alternatives
- spent five years (I spent five years in Paris: same meaning)
In this sentence
- lived · Verb:
- Past simple: the five years are finished, so the speaker lives somewhere else now. A listener will naturally ask "Where do you live now?" or "When did you leave?"
The same split runs through the questions. "How long have you lived here?" asks about a situation that is still going on. "How long did you live there?" asks about one that is over.
News style: present perfect first, then past simple
News reports show the two tenses working together. The first line announces the news as something connected to now, in the present perfect, with no time. The details that follow give times and places, so they switch to the past simple. Conversation works the same way: "Guess what, I've found a flat!" "Great, where did you find it?"
- Scientists have discovered a new species of frog. They found it in the rainforest of Ecuador last year.The news, then the details.
- The city has opened its new bridge. Thousands of people walked across it on the first day.The news, then what happened.
Common mistakes
Most of these come from a speaker's first language. German, Italian, French and Spanish use the present tense for a situation that is still going on (ich wohne hier seit, abito qui da, j'habite ici depuis, vivo aquí desde), and German, Italian and French use their compound past with yesterday.
NotI live here since 2019.
ButI've lived here since 2019.
A situation that started in the past and is still true takes the present perfect in English. The plain present cannot carry since, or a duration with for.
NotI am here since Monday.
ButI've been here since Monday.
The same rule with be: the present perfect of be is have been. "I am here since Monday" is a word-for-word copy of je suis ici depuis lundi or sono qui da lunedì.
NotI have seen him yesterday.
ButI saw him yesterday.
Yesterday is a finished time, and the present perfect never combines with one. In German, Italian or French the compound past is right here; in English it is not.
NotWhen have you arrived?
ButWhen did you arrive?
When asks for a point in finished time, so the question takes the past simple. The same goes for what time and how long ago.
NotI've worked here since ten years.
ButI've worked here for ten years.
Since needs a starting point (since 2015); a length of time takes for. German, Italian and French use one word for both jobs (seit, da, depuis), which is why the two get mixed up.
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Check yourself
1 / 10
Which form fills the gap?
I ___ Marco at the gym on Tuesday.
Answer
have seen: The present perfect cannot sit with a finished time like on Tuesday. This is the compound past of other languages carried into English.
see: The present tense would describe a habit or a schedule, not a single meeting last Tuesday.
had seen: The past perfect places an event before another past event ("I had seen him before he moved"). Nothing here comes before anything else.
saw ✓: Right. On Tuesday is a finished time, so the past simple is the only choice.
2 / 10
Which sentence says that you moved to Rome in 2015 and still live there?
Answer
I live in Rome since 2015.: The plain present cannot carry since in English. It is the pattern of vivo a Roma dal 2015 or ich wohne seit 2015 in Rom.
I lived in Rome since 2015.: Since runs up to now, so it does not fit a past simple. For a period that ended, say "from 2015 to 2020".
I've lived in Rome since 2015. ✓: Right. The present perfect with since covers the period from 2015 up to now.
3 / 10
Your aunt arrived on Saturday and is still staying with you. Which sentence is right?
Answer
She is here since Saturday.: Is cannot take since in English. This copies elle est ici depuis samedi or è qui da sabato.
She was here since Saturday.: The past simple says the stay is over, which clashes with since and with the fact that she is still there.
She's been here for Saturday.: For needs a length (for three days). Saturday is a starting point, which takes since.
She's been here since Saturday. ✓: Right. A stay that started on Saturday and goes on now takes the present perfect of be: has been.
4 / 10
You want to know what time your flatmate got in last night. What do you ask?
Answer
What time have you got home?: Questions with when or what time ask for a finished time, which the present perfect cannot express.
What time did you get home? ✓: Right. What time asks for a point in finished time, so the question takes the past simple.
What time you got home?: A question in the past simple needs the auxiliary did before the subject; without it this is only a statement with a question mark.
5 / 10
Which word fills the gap?
We've been friends ___ twenty years.
Answer
since: Since needs a starting point (since 2006, since school). With a length it is wrong, however natural seit or depuis feels.
from: From marks a starting point and usually needs an end point too (from 2006 to 2010). It cannot measure a length.
during: During names a period in which something happens ("during the war"); it does not measure how long a situation has lasted.
for ✓: Right. Twenty years is a length of time, and a length takes for.
6 / 10
You still mean to book the tickets. Which word fills the gap?
I haven't booked the tickets ___.
Answer
already: Already goes in positive sentences and in questions that show surprise. "I haven't booked the tickets already" is not natural English.
just: Just means a moment ago and sits before the participle ("I've just booked them"). It does not go at the end of a negative.
yet ✓: Right. Yet goes at the end of a negative and means "up to now": you still intend to book them.
7 / 10
Build the question: ask a friend whether, at any point in their life, they have ridden a horse.
“Have you ever ridden a horse?”
Answer
Have you ever ridden a horse
A question about life experience gives no time, so it takes the present perfect: auxiliary, subject, ever, participle.
8 / 10
Build the sentence: your sister's exams are still going on.
“My sister hasn't finished her exams yet.”
Answer
My sister hasn't finished her exams yet
An expected event that has not happened up to now: present perfect negative, with yet at the end.
9 / 10
Put the verb in the right form. Your colleague cannot open her emails right now.
She ___ (forget) her password.
Answer
has forgotten / 's forgotten / ’s forgotten
A past action with a result that matters now (she still cannot log in) takes the present perfect: has forgotten.
10 / 10
Put the verb in the right form. A news report has just given the headline; now come the details.
Two climbers have reached the summit. They ___ (leave) base camp on Tuesday.
Answer
left
The headline is present perfect; the details come with a finished time (on Tuesday), so they switch to the past simple. Leave is irregular: leave, left, left.
Present perfect and past simple in Epsylo
Break down an English sentence in Epsylo and the auxiliary have shows up as a word of its own, next to the participle it builds the tense with, and each is explained for the sentence it stands in. Select a time word such as yesterday, since or yet to see what it does to the verb, and which tense it calls for.
Questions
- Is "I have seen him yesterday" correct?
- No. Yesterday is a finished time, and English never uses the present perfect with one. Say "I saw him yesterday". If you drop the time, "I've seen him" is fine: it then means at some point up to now, or recently.
- Is "Did you eat yet?" wrong?
- Not in American English, where the past simple with yet, already and just is common and standard. In British English, "Have you eaten yet?" is the usual form, and it is the safer choice in exams based on British English.
- Why is it "I've lived here for ten years" and not "I live here for ten years"?
- English uses the present perfect for a situation that began in the past and still continues. The present tense only describes now, so it cannot carry a duration that reaches back into the past. "I live here" is fine on its own; add for or since and you need "I've lived here".
- What is the difference between "been to" and "gone to"?
- "She's been to Japan" means she went and came back: a visit, an experience. "She's gone to Japan" means she went and is there now, or on her way.
- Can I use the present perfect with "this morning"?
- Yes, while it is still the morning: "I've had two coffees this morning." Once the morning is over, use the past simple: "I had two coffees this morning." The same works for this week, this month and this year.
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