Grammar: Present Perfect vs. Past Simple
B1 Lesson 4: Choosing the Right Tense
Key Difference: Connection to the Present
The "golden rule" is simple: we use the Past Simple for actions that are 100% finished in the past. We use the Present Perfect for actions that have a connection to the present.
Past Simple (Finished Past)
- Use: For actions at a specific, finished time.
- Example: I visited Phnom Sampeau last month. (Last month is over.)
- Example: She bought her krama at Psar Nat on Saturday. (We know the specific day.)
Present Perfect (Connection to Now)
- Use: For actions in an unfinished time OR when the result is important now.
- Example: I have visited Phnom Sampeau twice this year. (This year is not finished.)
- Example: She has bought a new krama. (The result is important: she has one now. We don't know when.)
Signal Words clue
Common Time Expressions
| Past Simple Signal Words | Present Perfect Signal Words |
|---|---|
| yesterday, last week/month/year | today, this week/month/year |
| ... ago (e.g., three years ago) | for, since |
| in 2020, on Monday | already, yet, just |
| When...? | ever, never |
In Conversation
This common type of conversation in Battambang shows the tenses working together.
Visitor: Have you ever seen the bats at Phnom Sampeau?
Guide: Yes, of course. I saw them last night!
The visitor asks about a life experience (unspecified time) with the Present Perfect. The guide answers about a specific, finished time with the Past Simple.
Practice Your Grammar 🎯
Exercise 1: Choose the Correct Tense
- I _______ (go) to the Bamboo Train yesterday.
→ went - She _______ (live) in Battambang since she was a child.
→ has lived - _______ you ever _______ (eat) that restaurant's famous noodles?
→ Have you ever eaten - I _______ (lose) my wallet! Now I can't pay for my coffee.
→ have lost - They _______ (get) married three years ago.
→ got
Exercise 2: Find the Mistake
Find and correct the mistake in each sentence.
- Incorrect: I have seen him at Psar Nat yesterday.
→ I saw him at Psar Nat yesterday. - Incorrect: She didn't visit her grandmother this week.
→ She hasn't visited her grandmother this week. - Incorrect: When have you bought that beautiful painting?
→ When did you buy that beautiful painting?
Your Grammar Mission ⭐
Describe Your Last Trip
Think about the last time you traveled to another province (like Kep, Mondulkiri, etc.). Write a short paragraph (3-4 sentences). Use the Past Simple to describe specific things you did, and the Present Perfect to describe your experiences or feelings now.
Key Vocabulary
- Specific Clearly defined or identified; particular and exact.
- Unspecified Not stated clearly or exactly.
- Signal Word A word that gives a clue about which grammar tense to use.