2.1. I lived abroad

Icono IDevice Listening Activity

Listen to this interview and pay attention to the use of Present Perfect Simple and Past Simple.

 




Icono de iDevice Actividad de Espacios en Blanco
Listen to the interview again and complete the gaps with the verbs in Present Perfect Simple or Past Simple.
  • Where (be) you born? In New York City.
  • (be) you good at school? Yes, I was.
  • What you (do) yesterday? Yesterday I (study) [...] and then we (have) some lunch.
  • When you (live) in Paris? In 1990.
  • How you (meet)? We are not telling.
  • How long you (know) each other? Five years, four years...
  

Icono de iDevice Reflexión

Look at these sentences:

PAST SIMPLE
 PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
I lived in Liverpool for four years. I have lived in Liverpool for four years.

They look very similar, but there is a big difference in meaning. What is it?

Icono IDevice Important

 

 

Let's have a look at the difference between the Present Perfect Simple and the Past Simple in more detail.

 

Both are PAST tenses. So what is the difference? Good question! Let's see some examples:

PAST SIMPLE
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
Paco visited two countries.
Paco has visited two countries.

This sentence implies that his travellings

have finished.

Here Paco has visited two countries

so far but his travellings might continue

in the future (or not).

You can say a specific time, for example,

'last year'.

You can only say a specific time if

you use 'since' or 'for'.

Typical words going with it:

yesterday, last night, last year,

at that moment, in 1990, etc.

Typical words going with it:

so far, up to now, just, still, already,

yet, for a while, ever, never, once,

many times, etc.

 


Icono de iDevice Actividad de Espacios en Blanco
Decide if the following sentences go in the Past Simple or the Present Perfect Simple and complete the gaps:

1. Yesterday Paco (visit) Edinburgh Castle.

2. He (speak) to his family several times so far.

3. He (not watch) TV last night.

4. He (meet) Paul yesterday.

5. Paul (travel)to Spain several times.

6. Paul (go) to Cardiff three years ago.

7. Sonia (break) her leg when she was a child.

8. Paco (not finish) his Harry Potter book yet.

  

Icono IDevice Further knowledge

The best way to master the difference between Past Simple and Present Perfect Simple is practicing a lot. If you click here, you can do another exercise on this. For a second exercise, click here. And for a third exercise, click here.


It wasn't so difficult, was it? In next section, you are going to hear another song! Let's go!
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