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Present Perfect or Simple Past?

Introduction

There are some differences between the Present Perfect Tense and the Simple Past Tense.

Has the time period finished?

Rule	Example	Explanation
The present perfect is used when the time period has NOT finished.	I have seen three movies this week.	(This week has not finished yet.)
The simple past is used when the time period HAS finished.	I saw three movies last week.	(Last week has finished.)

Conditionals

There are four kinds of conditionals

The Zero Conditional:
(if + present simple, ... present simple)
If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils.
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The First Conditional:
(if + present simple, ... will + infinitive)
If it rains tomorrow, we'll go to the cinema.
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The Second Conditional:
(if + past simple, ... would + infinitive)
If I had a lot of money, I would travel around the world.
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The Third Conditional
(if + past perfect, ... would + have + past participle)
If I had gone to bed early, I would have caught the train.
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Reflexive pronouns and "each other"

When the Subject and the Object in a sentence refer to the same person or thing we use a Reflexive Pronoun.

Subject Pronouns	Reflexive Pronouns
I	Myself
You	Yourself
He	Himself
She	Herself
It	Itself
We	Ourselves
You (pl)	Yourselves
They	Themselves

If you are using YOU in the plural, the reflexive pronoun is yourselves.
Examples of sentences using reflexive pronouns:
My daughter likes to dress herself without my help.
I taught myself to play the guitar.
My cat always licks itself.

When to use reflexive pronouns

SO, SUCH, TOO, ENOUGH

Too

Use: Too means there is a lot of something. It shows a negative opinion.
It’s too hot = It is very hot and I don’t like it.

Form:

• You can use too before an adjective.

It’s too cold. My trousers are too small.

• You can also use it before an adverb,

You walk too fast. James speaks too quietly.

• Before a noun, use too much (uncountable nouns) or many (countable nouns).

I ate too much food.
I ate too many sandwiches.

• You can also use too much after a verb.

I ate too much.
Paul drinks too much.

Enough

Future Tenses

Will

This is the form that most people immediately associate with the future tense, but it is in fact restricted in its use. It has two main functions.

 - the first is to talk about unplanned or spontaneous future events;

 - the second is for predictions that are not based on current evidence.

Some examples should help to clarify the different meanings:

(The telephone rings) I'll get it.

I'll make us a cup of coffee.

Both, Neither, Either

Use:

1) Both
Both means two of two things.
I have two cats. I like both of them.

2) Neither
Neither means not one or the other of two things.
Neither of my cats is grey.
Remember to use a singular verb after neither.
Neither of the dogs are dangerous. => Neither of the dogs is dangerous.

3) Either
Either means one or the other.
There are two cakes. Please have one. You can have either one.

Present perfect simple or continuous?

Often there is very little difference between the present perfect simple and the present perfect continuous. In many cases, both are equally acceptable.

They've been working here for a long time but Andy has worked here for even longer.

I've lived here for 10 years and she has been living here for 12 years.

To emphasize the action, we use the continuous form.

We've been working really hard for a couple of months.

She's been having a hard time.

To emphasize the result of the action, we use the simple form.

I've made fifteen phone calls this morning.

He's written a very good report.

'For' and 'Since' with Present Perfect

We use Present Perfect tense to talk about action which started in the past and continues up to the present.

I have had this computer for about a year. 

How long have you been at this school? 

I haven't seen Julia since September.

We use 'for' with a period of time, for example: a few days, half an hour, two years.

I've been at school since 8.30 a.m.

We use 'since' with the time when the action started, for example: last year, June 8, I met you.

I've been at school for 5 hours.

Many links to possible exercises

Just, Still, Already and Yet

These words are often used with the present perfect tense although yet, still and already can all be used with other tenses.

‘Just’ is usually used only with the present perfect tense and it means ‘a short time ago’.

I’ve just seen Susan coming out of the cinema.

Mike’s just called. Can you ring him back please?

Have you just taken my pen? Where has it gone?

Past Tenses

 Past Simple
Normal narrative past form (sequentially occurring actions).  Example:

When I came home last Monday, I had a message on my answering machine.

It said, “Meet me in the park.”

I didn’t know who the message was from, but I was curious.

I put on my jacket, took my bag and went to the park.

And there he was: Luke, an old friend from school.

I was glad to see him and he looked relieved. 

Subject or object questions?

Most of the questions we know are called 'object' questions because the information they are asking about would be the object of the affirmative sentece.

Where do you live?

What are you doing?

These questions use the general structure we use for interrogative sentences ( [Wh-]+Aux+S+V+[O]?).

A Phonemic Chart to practice and get familiar with the symbols...

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