Page 40 - English Grammar in Use

Unit
14 Present perfect and past 2 (I have done and I did)

A We do not use the present perfect (I have done) when we talk about a finished time (for example,
yesterday / last year / ten minutes ago etc.). We use a past tense:
It was very cold yesterday. (not has been)
Paul and Lucy arrived ten minutes ago. (not have arrived)
Did you eat a lot of sweets when you were a child? (not have you eaten)
I got home late last night. I was very tired and went straight to bed.

Use the past to ask When … ? or What time … ? :
When did your friends arrive? (not have … arrived)
What time did you finish work?
Compare:
Present perfect Past simple
Tom has lost his key. He can’t get Tom lost his key yesterday.
into the house. He couldn’t get into the house.
Is Carla here or has she left? When did Carla leave?

B Compare:

Present perfect (have done) Past simple (did)
I’ve done a lot of work today. I did a lot of work yesterday.
We use the present perfect for a period of time We use the past simple for a finished time in
that continues until now. For example: the past. For example:
today / this week / since 2010. yesterday / last week / from 2010 to 2014.
unfinished finished
today yesterday

past now past now
It hasn’t rained this week. It didn’t rain last week.
Have you seen Anna this morning? Did you see Anna this morning?
(it is still morning now) (it is now afternoon or evening)
Have you seen Ben recently? Did you see Ben on Sunday?
(in the last few days or weeks)
I’ve been working here since 2010. I worked here from 2010 to 2014.
(I still work here now) (I don’t work here now)
I don’t know where Lisa is. I haven’t seen a: Was Lisa at the party on Sunday?
her. (= I haven’t seen her recently) b: I don’t think so. I didn’t see her.
We’ve been waiting for an hour. We waited (or were waiting) for an
(we are still waiting now) hour. (we are no longer waiting)
Jack lives in Los Angeles. He has lived Jack lived in New York for ten years.
there for seven years. Now he lives in Los Angeles.

I’ve never ridden a horse. (in my life) I never rode a bike when I was a child.
It’s the last day of your holiday. You say: After you come back from holiday you say:
It’s been a really good holiday. I’ve really It was a really good holiday. I really
enjoyed it. enjoyed it.

28 Past simple ➜ Unit 5 Present perfect ➜ Units 7–8 Present perfect and past 1 ➜ Unit 13