Do not use the present perfect (I have done) when you talk about a finished time (for example,
yesterday/ten minutes ago/in 1985/when I was a child). Use a past tense:
* The weather was nice yesterday. (not 'has been nice')
* They arrived ten minutes ago. (not 'have arrived')
* I ate a lot of sweets when I was a child. (not 'have eaten')
* A: Did you see the news on television last night? (not 'Have you seen')
B: No, I went to bed early. (not 'have gone')
Use a past tense to ask When ...? or What time ...?:
* When did they arrive? (not 'have they arrived')
* What time did you finish work?
Compare:
Present perfect
* Tom has lost his key. He can't get into the house.
Here, we are not thinking of the past action. We are thinking of the present result of the action: Tom doesn't have his key now.
Past simple
* Tom lost his key yesterday. He couldn't get into the house. Here, we are thinking of the action in the past. We don't know from this sentence whether Tom has his key now.
Compare present perfect and past:
Present perfect (have done)
* I've done a lot of work today.
We use the present perfect for a period of time that continues from the past until now. For example, today, this week, since 1985.
* It hasn't rained this week.
* Have you seen Ann this morning? (it is still morning)
* Have you seen Ann recently?
* I don't know where Ann is. I haven't seen her. (= I haven't seen her recently)
* We've been waiting for an hour. (we are still waiting now)
* Ian lives in London. He has lived there for seven years.
* I have never played golf. (in my life)
The present perfect always has a connection with now. Past simple (did)
* I did a lot of work yesterday.
We use the past simple for a finished time in the past. For example, yesterday, last week, from 1985 to 1991.
* It didn't rain last week.
* Did you see Ann this morning? (it is now afternoon or evening)
* Did you see Ann on Sunday?
* A: Was Ann at the party on Sunday?
B: I don't think so. I didn't see her.
* We waited (or were waiting) for an hour. (we are no longer waiting)
* Ian lived in Scotland for ten years.Now he lives in London.
* I didn't play golf when I was on holiday last summer.
EXERCISES
14.1 Are the underlined parts of these sentences right or wrong? Correct the ones that are wrong.
1. _I've lost_ my key. I can't find it anywhere. RIGHT
2. _Have you seen_ the news on television last night? WRONG: Did you see
3. _I've bought_ a new car. Do you want to see it? ---
4. _I've bought_ a new car last week. ---
5. Where _have you been_ yesterday evening? ---
6. Jenny _has left_ school in 1991. ---
7. I'm looking for Mike. _Have you seen_ him? ---
8. I'm very hungry. _I haven't eaten_ anything today. ---
9. Diane _hasn't been_ at work yesterday. ---
10. When _has this book been_ published? ---
14.2 Make sentences from the words in brackets. Use the present perfect or past simple.
1. (it/not/rain/this week) It hasn't rained this week.
2. (the weather/be/cold/recently) The weather ---
3. (it cold/last week) It ---
4. (I not/read/a newspaper yesterday) I ---
5. (I not/read/a newspaper today)
6. (Ann/earn/a lot of money/this year)
7. (she not/earn/so much/last year)
8. (you have/a holiday recently?)
14.3 Put the verb into the correct form, present perfect or past simple.
1. I don't know where Amy is. Have you seen (you/see) her?
2. When I --- (get) home last night, I --- (be) very tired and I --- (go) straight to bed.
3. Your car looks very clean --- (you/wash) it?
4. George --- (not/be) very well last week.
5. Mr Clark --- (work) in a bank for 15 years. Then he gave it up.
6. Molly lives in Dublin. She --- (live) there all her life.
7 --- (you/go) to the cinema last night?' 'Yes, but it --- (be) a mistake. The film (be) awful.
8. My grandfather --- (die) 30 years ago. I --- (never/meet) him.
9. I don't know Carol's husband. I --- (never/meet/him).
10. A: Is your father at home?
B: No, I'm afraid he --- (go) out.
A: When exactly --- (he/go) out? B: About ten minutes ago.
11. A: Where do you live?
B: In Boston.
A: How long --- (you/live) there?
B: Five years.
A: Where --- (you/live) before that?
B: In Chicago.
A: And how long --- (you/live) in Chicago?
B: Two years.
14.4 Write sentences about yourself using the ideas in brackets.
1. (something you haven't done today)
I haven't eaten any fruit today.
2. (something you haven't done today)
3. (something you didn't do yesterday)
4. (something you did yesterday evening)
5. (something you haven't done recently)
6. (something you've done a lot recently)
14.1
3 right
4 wrong--I bought
5 wrong--were you
6 wrong--jenny left school
7 right
8 right
9 wrong--wasn't
10 wrong--When was this book published
14.2
2 The weather has been cold recently.
3 It was cold last week.
4 I didn't read a newspaper yesterday.
5 I haven't read a newspaper today.
6 Ann has earned a lot of money this year.
7 She didn't earn so much last year.
8 Have you had a holiday recently?
14.3
2 got ... was ... went
3 Have you washed it? (Did you wash it? is also possible)
4 wasn't
5 worked
6 has lived I 's lived
7 Did you go ... was ... was
8 I died ... never met
9 have never met/I've never met him
10 I'm afraid he has gone out./... he's gone out. When exactly did he go out?
11 How long have you lived there? Where did you live before that? And how long did you live in Chicago?
14.4 Example answers:
2 I haven't bought anything today.
3 I didn't watch TV yesterday.
4 I went out with some friends yesterday evening.
5 I haven't been to the cinema recently.
6 I've been swimming a lot recently.
