present perfect versus simple past tense

For many English learners, it can be difficult to distinguish between the present perfect and the simple past tense.

Let’s look at a few examples.

1. a) Have you ever met a famous person?

Question 1. a requires the present perfect because no specific time in the past is being referred to. The adverb “ever” in questions is a a good clue that the present perfect is required. “Ever” means “one time or more in the past”.

Imagine that I respond to the question in the following way.

1. b) Yeah, I met a Canadian journalist once.

In statement 1. b) the simple past tense is required because I am referring to the specific time in the past that this occurred.

If the conversation continues, the other person might then ask me questions such as the following (all in the simple past):

1. c) Who did you meet? 1. d) When did you meet this person? 1. e) Where did you meet this person?

In questions 1. c) to 1. d), the simple past tense is required because there is a specific past time reference, namely the time that I met the Canadian journalist.

Let’s look at another example.

2. Have you ever sponsored anybody to Canada?

Again, “ever” is a good clue that the present perfect is required. The present perfect is required as no specific time in the past is being asked about.

I could reply by saying, “no, I haven’t“, as I would need to use the helping verb “have” plus the contraction of “not”. It would not be correct to say “no, I didn’t” as I would be changing the answer to the simple past tense. This is not correct because no specific past time is being referred to.

Here’s one more example:

3. a) Have you ever been to Niagara Falls?

Again, “ever” is used to refer to an indefinite past time (i.e. – one time or more in the past).

I would probably just respond by saying “yeah”, although “yeah/yes, I have” is possible, too.

The other person might continue the conversation by asking a question like:

3. b) “When is the last time you went there?”

In 3. b) the simple past tense is required because the person is asking me about a specific time in the past (i.e. – the last time).

It’s sometimes useful to analyze larger chunks of discourse, rather than just isolated sentences, to explain or try to understand the use of the present perfect and simple past tense. Regrettably, many ESL grammar books just have isolated sentences, and not larger chunks of discourse.