English lesson_Present Perfect vs Past Simple

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ENGLISH LESSONS

Perfect Present - Past Simple
(I have finished) (I finished)
When do we use them?

PRESENT PERFECT

The Present Perfect is used to link the present and the past.

The Present Perfect is used :

          1. To talk about an action which started in the past and continues today.
               For and since are used to express duration.
             ◊ I have lived here for 10 years.   I have lived here since 1998.
                 (I arrived here 10 years ago and I am still here.)

          2. To refer to past events in an unfinished period of time :
               ◊ I have written two letters today.
               (Two letters are written but today is not finished.)

          3. To talk about recent events that have just happened or been announced :
               ◊ There has been a plane crash near the coast.
                  (We know the event took place but we don't know when.)

4. To talk about a past action with a result in the present :
◊ I've broken my arm. I can't drive. (= because my arm is broken now)

         5. To talk and ask about experiences or accomplishments
               up to the time of speaking, but at no specific time.
               " I'm a writer. I've written 9 books."
             " Have you ever written a biography?"   "No never."

PAST SIMPLE

          The Past Simple is used to talk about past events which happened
          in a finished period of time.

             The Past Simple is used :

1. When the period of time is finished :
◊ I wrote two letters yesterday. (Yesterday is finished.)

          2. When the time is mentioned, either a precise time in the past,
               or a time expression which clearly situates the event in the past:

               ◊ I lived in the country          ...    until the age of 6
                                                        ...    when I was young
                                                        ...    from 1985 to 1992
                                                        ...    before we moved to London
                                                        ...    a long time ago

NB : As a general rule, if you can answer the question "when?", use the Past Simple

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