Read this article to refresh your understanding of three crucial tenses: the Past Simple, the Present Perfect and the Present Perfect Continuous. Designed for upper-intermediate to advanced learners, this material will be accompanied by practical exercises to reinforce your skills. Give yourself a competitive edge by delving into these important aspects of grammar here and now.

Past Simple vs. Present Perfect

Past Simple	Present Perfect
We use the Past Simple: ☝️ for past habits or states, whether continuous or repeated: Long ago, they built most houses out of wood. He always caught the same train.	We use the Present Perfect: ☝️ for actions or states in the past which have a connection with the present: They have bought a new house. ( ➡️ They can now go and live in it.) It’s just started to rain. ( ➡️ Bring the washing in.) ☝️ when the results of an action or state are obvious now: You’ve spilt the coffee all over my skirt – look! They’ve polluted the river. ( ➡️ The fish are dead.) ☝️ for repeated actions in the past, with words like often, rarely, and seldom: He’s often been to France. (In the past, but he might go there again.)
☝️ with periods of time that have finished: I read the newspaper this morning. (It is now afternoon or evening.) He did a lot in his short life. (He’s dead.)	☝️ with periods of time that have not finished yet: We’ve built 20 new schools this year. (It is still this year.) He has done a lot in his short life. (He’s alive and young.)
☝️ for finished actions with words time words like a year ago, last Monday, last month, yesterday, etc.: Watson and Crick identified the structure of DNA in 1953. The first modern Olympics took place in Athens more than 100 years ago.	☝️ for actions with expressions like already, before, never, ever, often, recently, still, yet, just, etc.: Rain has already ruined the tomato crops. Have you ever climbed a mountain? We still haven’t discovered life on other planets. They haven’t sent an astronaut to Mars yet. ❗Note that sometimes we do use the Past Simple with recently and just. Recently refers to a time that is not long ago: I recently watched that movie (implying the viewing was not long ago, though it doesn’t specify when). Just is used with the Past Simple when it implies that something happened very recently or moments before the present. It emphasizes the immediacy of the action: She just called me (indicating that the call occurred very shortly before the present moment).

❗The choice between the Past Simple or Present Perfect depends on whether the action links the past with the present. Compare:

• He‘s often been to France. (And he might do that again.) / He often went to France. (But he doesn’t do that anymore.)
• He has done a lot in his short life. (He’s still alive, young and might do even more.) / He did a lot in his short life. (Sadly, he is dead now.)
• I have wanted to live by the sea all my life. (I still do.) / I wanted to live by the sea all my life. (Said by an old person, who doesn’t want that anymore.)
• I have done this before. (The experience of doing it before is still significant or applicable now; ➡️ I have done this before, so now I know how to handle it.) / I did this before. (There was a specific instance in the past when I did that. The action is completed and is not directly connected to the present.)
• I have already cleaned the floor. (The action is completed, and the result of it is obvious. ➡️ The floor is clean now, so there is no need for you or anybody to clean it.) / I already cleaned the floor. (The action is completed, but there are no implications in the present; the result of the action is not relevant now.)

Present Perfect Continuous

We use the Present Perfect Continuous to talk about actions which started in the past and which continue up to the moment of speaking. We use it especially when we are interested in the duration of the action: I’ve been waiting for the whole hour!

Notice the difference between the Present Perfect Continuous and the Present Perfect: I’ve done my homework. / I have been doing my homework. ❗The Present Perfect emphasizes the idea of completion (➡️ the homework is finished now); we use the Present Perfect Continuous to indicate that the action has lasted for a period and is incomplete. Compare:

• I’ve read the newspaper today. (I’ve finished it.) / I’ve been reading “It” by Steven King. (I haven’t fished it yet.)
• I’ve prepared dinner. (It’s ready, so let’s eat.). / I’ve been preparing dinner. (I’m still in the middle of it.)

The Present Perfect Continuous is often used with for and since: Those potatoes have been boiling for an hour, and the carrots have been boiling since 3 o’clock. However, that doesn’t mean that since and for cannot be used with the Present Perfect. ❗If we want to emphasize completion rather than duration, or if we use a state verb, we need to use the Present Perfect. For example: 1) I have had this phone since 2020. 2) I have known this person for a few years. 3) She has worked here since 2020. This last example emphasizes her employment status rather than how long she has been employed.

The Past Simple, Present Perfect, and Present Perfect Continuous are some of the most confusing grammar points in English. The choice between these tenses is sometimes very subtle and not easily perceived by learners. As a result, there are often many questions and a strong need for practice when it comes to this grammar. This whole post is dedicated to practicing these concepts, so give it the attention it deserves. And, of course, be sure to subscribe to this blog so you don’t miss a thing. Feel free to ask questions in the comments below if anything remains unclear.