A2-B1: Present Perfect and Past Simple

This is a difficult grammar point for Spanish speakers because we think that present perfect is a kind of past in Spanish (we called it pretérito perfecto simple). Let's see the main differences between these two tenses:

Present Perfect

• it focuses on the result of the action and this result happens in the present time: I've already eaten, thank you.
• the reference of time is not precised and it usually means up to now: I've seen that fillm many times; I think I've seen you before.
• this tense usually goes with expressions like: 
• EVER/NEVER: Have you ever eaten Thai food? No, never
• ALREADY: I've alredy finished my sandwich
• YET: She hasn't finised yet. What about your? Have you finished yet? 
• JUST: Yes, I've just finished
• FOR and SINCE: I've had it since I was a child/for a long time

Past Simple

• it focuses on the past action; it's usually referred to memories or past events. The reference of time is clearly in past so it goes with expressions such as : 
• ___ AGO: I saw her 3 weeks ago
•  LAST ____ : They went on holiday last month
• IN ___  : I was born in 1990
• WHEN ____ : I could swim when I was 7
• YESTERDAY: She called me yesterday

If you need more help with this grammar point, you can visit these useful links:

• A short explanation with a diagram to explain the difference: click here
• This link from the British Council gives you the explanation of present perfect and then it is compared with past simple: click here

You also have these useful links to practise but the best way is to do it speaking:

• exercise 1       exercise 2  (explanation and exercise)     exercise 3       exercise 4      exercise 5   exercise 6      exercise 7

The difference between LIKE and AS

 They have the same translation in English but they work differently according to the meaning and to the grammar used.

• LIKE:
• it means "similar to" so it's a comparison: she works like a doctor (similar to a doctor but that person is not a doctor)
• it's used with nouns, pronouns or -ing form: my father is like me
• AS:
• it means "in that position or situation" and it's NOT a comparison but it's REALLY that: she works as a doctor (she's a doctor; it's her job)
• it's followed by noun/pronoun or -ing, but it's very usual to have a sentence (Subject+Verb+Complements): I am a teacher as my father was in his time

If you need more information go to this link: click here or this other link . In both cases you have exercises at the end of the explanation.

Irregular verbs

We have started with past simple and we have seen there are 2 big groups:

• REGULAR: verbs in which you add -ED to the infinitive; e.g. work - worked - worked
• IRREGULAR: you have different forms in past and past participle; e.g. find - found -found

If you want more information, click on these links: here

The problem with regular verbs is the pronunciation because it's a bit difficult:

• / d / : the most usual one; e.g. played, studied, preferred (ending in vowel sound+-ED);listened, changed, travelled, lived  (ending in voiced the consonants) 
• / t / : with voiceless consonants; e.g. asked, washed, stopped (remember the trick: PeTaKaSh)
• / id / : ending in /d/ or /t/; you have an extra syllable; e.g. end - ended

For irregular verbs, look at the list with the pattern (A-A-A, A-B-B, A-B-C, A-B-A) : clikc here

How to learn irregular verbs? There are many activities, but try to do it orally better than writing:

• the alphabet: verbs starting with...
• by topics: senses; habitual actions; money; learning, etc.
• by pattern: tell me 5 verbs A-A-A, A-B-B, A-B-C, etc.
• by groups of pronunciation: /i:/  /e/  /e/ (read, read, read; feel, felt, felt)  or --- /ot/  /ot/ (buy, bought, bought; catch, caught, caught) 
• by mimic: you show your partner the action by mimic (e.g. swim, eat, write, read, think...)
• What did you do yesterday? (in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening) 

If you want to work with written exercises, go to these links:

• exercise 1      exercise 2     exercise 3 (a list of exercises)

To help you with the pronunciation you can go to this link where there are videos to know how to say the most common irregular verbs.