Learn English Tenses: PRESENT PERFECT and PAST SIMPLE

Do you get confused using English tenses? In today's lesson, I teach you how and when to use the Present Perfect and Past Simple tenses. It's easy to confuse the two, and many English students make mistakes with these tenses. In this grammar lesson, you will learn how each one is used, how they are different from one another, and how to know which tense is correct for your sentence. English tenses can be difficult to master, but I'll teach you my quick and easy tips so that you can use these tenses correctly. Once you understand them, practice by taking my quiz.

TRANSCRIPT

So:
"Bruce is looking for his helmet. He can't find it anywhere. So he __________", now what do you think should go here? "He __________ lost his helmet."
Okay, he's looking for his helmet, he can't find it, so we need to put something in here. Have you got it? Well the answer is: "has". Okay? So: "He has lost his helmet." Now, to form the present perfect, I put my subject, I'll just put "s" for subject, so: "I", "you", "he", "she", "we", "they", "it". Okay? Subject plus "has" or "have", plus the past participle. So if it's regular, you're going to be doing a verb with an "ed" ending. For example: "completed", "finished", "started". Okay? So verb plus: "ed". However, if it's irregular, it's going to have a slightly different ending. I'm hoping you've got a list of irregular verbs somewhere. Get in touch with me if you don't, I'll help out.

So, when are we talking about? "Bruce has lost his helmet. He has lost his helmet." Well, it's not future. Is it? Okay? It's either present or past. Now, we use the present perfect when we're looking at something that's kind of just happened. It happened quite recently; it's only just happened. So I'm going to write in: "recent", okay? "R-e-c-e-n-t", "recent". Say it back to me: "recent". Okay, it happened recently, the adverb. Great. So: "Bruce has lost his helmet." It's only just happened. It happened like an hour ago, it happened five minutes ago. For not much time has he lost his helmet.

Now, let's look at how we form this verb. As I said, we look at our subject so it's either: "I", or: "we", or: "they", or: "you". What do you think? "Has" or: "have" here? "I has" or: "I have"? That's it, it's: "I have". Okay? Now, the contraction for: "I have" is: "I've finished." -"Have you done your homework?" -"Yes, I've finished my homework. Just five minutes ago, I finished my homework." Okay?

Now, with the subjects: "he", "she", "it", we're going to need to use: "has". "Sorry about my pen, it has just run out of ink." Okay? So subject plus: "has". Contraction: "It's just run out of ink." So that brings me on to my next point, "run" would be an irregular verb. Okay? "R-u-n", it doesn't use an "ed" ending. Check out your list of irregular verb endings for the past participle. Good. Still with me? Still understanding? Still on the same page? Comprendo? Brilliant.

Now, we're going to look on to the past simple now.

"He"-Bruce-"lost his helmet." Okay? "He lost his helmet." This is the... Oh, dear, I got it the wrong way around. Teachers aren't perfect after all. So: "He lost his helmet is the past simple." Okay? Because it's a completed action that has happened in the past and it's finished. "He lost his helmet." Okay? So let's write in, past simple, that's there. "He lost his helmet." Done. Happened once, finished. "But now he has found it!" Tada! Great. So Bruce, he now has found it. Okay? And the pen has still run out of ink. "But now he has found it!" The difference... So this is my present perfect. It has something to do with now. "But now he has found it!" Okay? This "now" talks about the present. "But now he has found his helmet."

Let's look at the differences one more time. Present perfect, it tells us about the situation now. I have the helmet now. e.g: "Bruce has lost his helmet. He has lost his helmet." Now no helmet. Okay? Now, what do we know now? Well, now, there is no helmet.

Past simple: "He lost his helmet." When we use the past simple, we find out about the past, but we don't know about the present. Okay? So we know about the past, not the present. "Bruce lost his helmet." We don't know if he has his helmet now. We cannot see the present which is down here: "He does have his helmet." Okay? So the past just doesn't give us that information about right now, the past simple.

[hufflepuff]

Wow Benjamin I like your accent. It was like I watch a harry potter movie. hahahaha

[AnaLauraGirardi]

OMG, I've finally understood the difference! Thank you so much, Benjamin!! You're an amazing teacher!

[stefanigsanches]

teacher, are you british? i loved your accent! 😘

[praguepersona]

Thanks so much. I've been out of teaching for a while and I have to teach exactly this in an upcoming interview. This is EXTREMELY useful. :)

[pHx]

Nice! I've never seen a so good lesson until know you now, guys! It's so easy to understand, even for a brazilian speaker like me. In just one day watching EngVid.com, I feel more confortable to learn English. Thank you so much!

[valdezenglishcourses]

Good video, Benjamin. Also, the explanation was good. You're right when you said that teachers are not perfect. I've been teaching English for 41 years and I sometimes have a mistake. When the teacher have a mistake and he realizes that he made a mistake he is a good teacher, so don't wory if you have a mistake. The most important thing is to accept that we made a mistake. By the way you are a wonderful teacher. Keep on doing what you like to do.

[quangchanhpham]

you are from England, right??? your voice...

[ahmetyenicay]

I can listen to you all day dream accent though

[conscientiousscrupulous]

I wondering why those teacher who are non-native speakers are more able to clarify the grammars than native ones! But I love the way that the native people talk.

[kids]

Please explain with why, where, who
In past and what is the sense of that sentence . like as.
Who broke this chair ?
And
Who has broken this chair ?
With explain with sense
Thanks

[Pooledogg]

I was impressed that you left the mistake in. Not enough teachers do this.

[dannyngan]

I enjoyed learning english with your teaching style. It was easy for me to understand. Thank you very much.

[arwaalsafty]

Thank you so much. This lesson has helped me alot!

[pedroluzdivina]

Yes, I comprendo everything because you explain very good... Thanks for sharing. 😁😁😁

[srujandhanorkar]

Sir you are teaching very well. Keep it up👍👍👍👍👍👍

[LAKingsCHAMPS]

I'm so thankful English was my first language; this shit looks complicated as fuck. I don't know how people learn this.

[RicardoCasalLopez]

Best grammar lesson I have ever listen. Thanks.

[anamariasoares]

I absolutely love that accent! Wonderful explanation. Thanks Teacher!

[nevingeorge]

First time I heard this kind of explanation for this topic....Thanks a lot man...really great

[FoizAhmedfoju]

I like your video and you have done a great job for students all over the world . Finally wish you a long life to make quality video for us.Thanks