Present perfect vs Past

 The simple past tense occurs with specific past-time adverbials.. The core meaning of the past tense is remoteness.. The use of specific past-time adverbials e.g., yesterday, last y

Usages

 Sheila has joined the Sierra Club.

 Sheila joined the Sierra Club

The use of the present perfect has more to do with our present perspective on the event

rather than on the actual time at which it

took place

 The simple past tense occurs with specific

past-time adverbials The core meaning of

the past tense is remoteness The use of

specific past-time adverbials (e.g., yesterday,

last year, 1990) makes the past tense

obligatory The use of certain more general

temporal adverbials is commonly associated

with the perfect (e.g., already, since, yet).

 Organise the phrases in the next slide into

three columns headed used with simple past,

used with present perfect and used with either.

Up to now In the last century Kennedy’s During

lifetime Over the last

hundred years or

so

For three months Three months ago

Since three

months ago Recently This is the first time I

17 th century Vietnam War Since the

three months After the Second World War

 In the last century

 during Kennedy’s lifetime

 Three months ago

 Throughout the 17th century

 Up to now

 Over the last hundred years or so

 Since three months ago

 This is the first time I

 Lately

 Since the Vietnam War

 Within the last three months

 For three months

 Recently

 Today

 After the Second World War

 Even if a past-time adverbial isn’t

explicit, the remoteness may be defined elsewhere in the context or simply

implied:

 John Lennon was a creative genius

 The past tense is used for a completed

historical period versus an incomplete one:

 My father lived here all his life.

 My father has lived here all his life.

 The function of the present perfect is to change the nature of the relationship

between the subject and predicate – it emphasizes the predicated event’s

result.

 I’ve been to Japan twice already, but I still don’t speak much Japanese

 Past simple is used by speakers to talk about

past events which are, or which they regard

as, finalised, or over and done with.

 Present perfect is used by speakers to talk

about events which are still current, or which they want to highlight as being incomplete

or still relevant.