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

Using FOR and SINCE

The main difference between these two forms is:

• FOR is used to express a period of time while SINCE is used to indicate the starting point in which the action began; go to this exercise to see it clear; click here

If you go to this link, you'll see a good explanation of these forms and take this sentence to be learnt by heart:

Just remember this sentence "For a period of time, since a point in time."

If you want to practise with some more exercises, here you are some links:

exercise 1      exercise 2       exercise 3     exercise 4 

If you are not sure about the tenses, you should revise the difference between passt simple and present perfect, a previous entry in this blog or go to these links:

exercise 1      use of how long with present perfect or past simple; click here

To finish with, pay attention to the pronunciation of SINCE  /SINS/

Past Simple vs. Past Continuous

We've already seen these two tenses in class and I reminded you that it's similar to Spanish tenses but we have more tenses in our language. Compare these sentences:

• Llovía cuando llegué a casa: It was raining when I got home
• Estaba lloviendo cuando llegué a casa: It was raining when I got home
• Llovió mucho ayer: It rained a lot yesterday
• Estuvo lloviendo todo el día: It was raining the whole day

If you see the grammar section it's said that it's quite usual to find simple past and past continuous together, especially when you use when or while:

• She was working at the office when I phoned her
• While I was watching TV, Susan phoned

However, sometimes you can use it in a different way:

• While I was cleaning my husband was making dinner

Remember we use past continuous to make the action sound more interesting, more lively.

If you want to practise, use these links with exercises:

• exercise 1, exercise 2, exercise 3: with a long explanation and exercises at the end
• a video with an explanation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mG6wOcof44

Revising Present Perfect and Past Simple

Spanish speakers have a lot of problems to distinguish between these two tenses because both are pretérito (past) in Spanish. Let's revise them:

• PRESENT PERFECT (up to now)
• we use it with typical questions such as Have you ever been to...?
• with ever / never
• with expressions such as once / twice / many times
• with already (+) and yet (- and ?)
• with for and since

• PAST SIMPLE (past reference of time)
• last _______
• __________ ago
• when I was young...
• in ______ (year)

Here you have some exercises to practise:

• http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simpas-preper/exercises?ex03
• http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs5.htm
• http://www.curso-ingles.com/ejercicios-test-ingles/present-perfect-past-simple.php
• http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=1496
• http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/ppvpast1.htm

Present Perfect versus Past Simple

The main difference between these two tenses is the reference of time:

• Present Perfect: no clear reference (twice in my lifetime) or anything referred to UP TO NOW.
• Past simple: this tense needs a reference to past (last summer, 3 week ago, in 2012, when I was young, etc.)

Exercises:  exercise 1    exercise 2     exercise 3

Surf on your own on the internet by using past simple versus present perfect and you'll find plenty of exercises. Enjoy your surfing!
If you want to practise present perfect/past simple orally you can use these sentences we saw in class:

• Have you seen a good film recently?
• Has a friend of yours ever been to Africa?
• Have you bought a present recently?
• Have you ever been abroad?

To solve the problem with GONE or BEEN go to these links: explanation and exercise
but if you need more help remember how to translate it: she has been to NY (ha visitado, ha estado en NY) she's gone to NY (se ha marchado a NY)

Simple Past

In  lesson 1.2 we saw simple past. Here you have a summary of what I explained in class.

There are two kinds of verbs: REGULAR and IRREGULAR verbs. To get the past form of the first group, just add -ED to the infinitive; e.g. to work --- worked;  to play --- played
You have some rules for the spelling of this form:

• when the verb ends in -E you only add -D; e.g.: move --- moved . Logically you cannot write moveed because the pronunciation should be /mu:vi:d/
• when the verb ends in CONSONANT+VOWEL+CONSONANT and the vowel is stressed you must double the last consonant of the infinitive like in these examples: fit --- fitted; prefer --- preferred but only if it's stressed, if not you leave it: open --- opened   listen --- listened (you don't double the consonant)
• when the verb ends in CONSONANT+Y you change that Y for -IED like copy --- copied; but not in verbs like play --- played

Another problem we have with the REGULAR verbs is the way of pronouncing the ending -ED:

• /d/ : vowels and most consonants (voiced consonats, that is, with vibration); e.g. lived, played, opened, preferred
• /t/ : with voiceless consonants, and the most common ones are /k/, /p/ and /∫/; e.g. worked, stopped or finished
• /ɪd/ : when the last sound is /d/ or /t/ you add an extra syllable; e.g. end  ---  ended /'endɪd/ ; fit ---fitted

You can see this video to practise the pronunciation; click here

The IRREGULAR verbs are those which have different forms in past and/or past participle and they are presented in a long list you must learn by heart (de memoria), usually in alphabetical order like in this video but I recommend studying them in different ways:

1. Choose a letter and try to say as many verbs as possible; e.g. H --- hurt-hurt-hurt; hit-hit-hit, hide-hid-hidden, have-had-had, hear-heard-heard and so on. It's funnier if you work with someone else!
2. Learn them according to the pattern: A-A-A (cut-cut-cut), A-B-B (buy-bought-bought), A-B-C (write-wrote-written) and A-B-A (come-came-come). You can watch this video to help you: click here
3. By meaning like senses (hear-heard-heard; see-saw-seen; smell-smelt-smelt...), money (buy-bought-bought, sell-sold-sold, spend-spent-spent...), learning (learn-learnt-learnt, teach-taught-taught, , write-wrote-written...), speaking (speak-spoke-spoken, say-said-said, tell-told-told, understand-understood-understood...), everyday activities (do-did-done, cut-cut-cut, put-put-put, sleep-slept-slept, eat-ate-eaten...) Notice that most of these typical actions are irregular verbs while more "modern" ones are regular, especially those which come from Latin: copy, phone, film, register, etc.
4. Try to recognise similar spellings and pronunciation: -ought /ɔ:t/ (bring-brought-bought, buy-bought-bought, seek-sought-sought, think-thought-thought...); - /i:/- /e/ - /e/ (read-read-read, feel-felt-felt, meet-met-met, leave-left-left...); /əʊ/-/u:/-/əʊn/( grow-grew-grown, blow-blew-blown, fly-flew-flown...) or /əʊ/ - /ən/ in the last form (write-wrote-written, drive-drove-driven, ride-rode-ridden... and also notice other similarities in the present and past form. This is a video about this topic but in a different way.

You also have some pages to find a list of irregular verbs:

http://www.englishpage.com/irregularverbs/irregularverbs.html : with the meaning but not the pronunciation

http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/irregular-verbs/ : this includes the 3rd person in singular in present

http://www.saberingles.com.ar/lists/irregular-verbs.html : with the translation into Spanish but without pronunciation.

Both regular and irregular verbs use the auxiliary DID for questions and negative form; e.g. Did you go to work last Saturday?  No, I didn't. Notice that the reference of time is very important, using words such as:

• Last ________
• When I was a child _____
• In _____ (past dates)
• Yesterday _________
• __________ ago

To finish with, you should practise with these verbs to get familiar with them. Here you have some exercises to practise:

• exercise 1 : a page with many exercises
• exercise 2 : divided in different levels of difficulty
• exercise 3 : with different games to practise
• exercise 4: the traditional form of studying the list
• exercise 5: a video with the 50 most used irregular verbs
• exercise 6: 5 more exercises about irregular verbs oriented to ESO students

NOTE: there is also a previous post in this blog I published in May 2009 about past tenses and the pronunciation:

If you are interested in practising the ending of regular past tense have a look at this chart and them do this exercise. It's quite interesting. When you have it clearer, try to do this practice with pronunciation. It's slow but you can practise with it. To finish with, you have a listening comprehension; it's a bit difficult but the questions aren't difficult. Have a look but don't worry if you can't do it perfectly.

And after so much grammar, let's sing a song by Adele. First do this exercise of filling the gaps and then go to this link Set Fire to the Rain. 

I don't know it you've noticed it but I love Adele.

Past simple versus past continuous

These two verbs are very similar to the ones in present but they are more connected, especially when you use when or while. The only thing you should keep in mind is that there are 2 simple past forms in Spanish but only one in English so in some context you use both past continuous or past simple. Have a look at these examples and the possible translation:

• While she was having a coffee she saw the car crash  ( Mientras se tomaba un café...)
• She had a coffee with Peter  ( Se tomó un café...)
• She had coffee with Peter every week (Se tomaba un café con Pedro todas las semanas)

Here you have a couple of links with an explanation and an exercises at the end. Click here or here

If you want to practise some more here you have more exercises:

• exercise 1      exercise 2