Past Simple

vs

Present Perfect

and

Present Perfect Continuous

There are differences between Past Simple, Present Perfect, Present Perfect + Since/For, and Present Perfect Continuous. There are similarities between Past Simple, Present Perfect, and Present Perfect Continuous Tense. Let’s see! 

Past Simple = definite time, indefinite time, or unspecified time.

Present Perfect = indefinite time or unspecified time.

Present Perfect + Since/For = definite time, indefinite time, or unspecified time?

Present Perfect Continuous = definite time, indefinite time, or unspecified time? (Read it clearly below!)

Difference between Past Simple, Present Perfect, and Present Perfect Continuous Tense.

1. Completed action or event at a definite time = When an action or event has been completed but the time that has shown in our action or event is a definite time. A definite time which you can easily define. We use Past Simple.

e.g. –

• I saw you there 5 days ago. (definite time – 5 days)
• He supported me a year ago. (definite time – a/1 year)
• Mona wrote this article months ago. (definite time – months)
• We did not see him from January 2000. (definite time – January 2000)
• He stopped calling me when he went to London. (definite time – he went to London)
• Jon Carter lived in the village when he had no money. (definite time – he had no money)

Click to know more about Definite Time

2. Completed action or event at an indefinite time = When an action or event has been completed but the time that has shown in our action or event is not definite (not definable) time. An indefinite time is not fixed. We use Past Simple or Present Perfect.

e.g. –

• I recently saw you there. (indefinite time – recently)  OR  I have recently seen you there. (indefinite time – recently)
• He finally supported. (indefinite time – finally)  OR  He has finally supported me. (indefinite time – finally)
• Sasha already parked her car. (indefinite time – already)  OR  Sasha has already parked her car. (indefinite time – already)
• We did not see him earlier. (indefinite time – earlier)  OR  We have not seen him earlier. (indefinite time – earlier)
• He occasionally stopped calling me. (indefinite time – occasionally)  OR  He has occasionally stopped calling me. (indefinite time – occasionally)
• He finally supported me. (indefinite time – finally)  OR  He has finally supported me. (indefinite time – finally)

• Andrea lived in the village for a long time ago. (indefinite time – a long time ago)  OR  Andrea has lived in the village for a long time ago. (indefinite time – a long time)

Click to know more about Indefinite Time

3. Completed action or event in unspecified time = When an action or event has been completed but the time is not shown. The time is not specified. We do not show any time in a sentence. We use Past Simple or Present Perfect.

e.g. –

• I saw you there. (unspecified time)  OR  I have seen you there. (unspecified time)
• He supported me. (unspecified time) OR He has supported me. (unspecified time)
• Angelica wrote this article. (unspecified time)  OR Angelica has written this article. (unspecified time)
• We did not see him. (unspecified time)  OR  We have not seen him. (unspecified time)
• He stopped calling me. (unspecified time)  OR  He has stopped calling me. (unspecified time)
• Moira lived in the village. (unspecified time)  OR  Moira has lived in the village. (unspecified time)

4. An Action or Event from the starting point until now = Any action or event that starts in the past but the progress is still going on with a definite time, indefinite time, or unspecified time. We call it Present Perfect Continuous or Present Perfect as Present Perfect Continuous (Present Perfect + Since/For).

Remember = The time is definite or indefinite but still, we talk about a whole duration here, not just a fixed time. Technically, we cannot call the time ‘definite or indefinite.’ It is a time that has been started in past and still going further. So, we call it “point of time” or “period of time.”

Present Perfect = Has/Have + verb 3rd form

Present Perfect Continuous = Has/Have + been + verb 1st form + ing + since/for

Present Perfect as Present Perfect Continuous = Has/Have + verb 3rd form + since/for

e.g. –

• I have been seeing you there for 5 days. (definite time – 5 days, starting 5 days ago until now. “5 days” is a “Definite Time” but here by using “For 5 days” makes it a duration, “Period of time.”)

• He has supported me for years. (definite time – years, starting years ago until now. “Years” is a “Definite Time” but here by using “For years” makes it a duration, “Period of time.”)

• Sia has been writing this article for 2 months. (definite time – 2 months, starting 2 months ago until now. “2 months” is a “Definite Time” but here by using “For 2 months” makes it a duration, “Period of time.”)

• We have not seen him since January 2000. (definite time – January 2000, starting January 2000 until now. “January 2000” is a “Definite Time” but here by using “Since January 2000” makes it a duration, “Point in time.”)

• He has stopped calling me since he went to London. (indefinite time – when he went to London, starting when he went to London until now. “When he went to London” is an “Indefinite Time” but here by using “Since he went to London” makes it a duration, “Point in time.”)

• Joshua has been living in the village for a long time. (indefinite time – a long time, starting a long time until now. “A long time” is an “Indefinite Time” but here by using “For a long time” makes it a duration, “Point in time.”)

• I have programmed this website.  Or  I have been writing this essay. (unspecified time)
• He has stopped calling me. (unspecified time)
• I have been seeing him there. (unspecified time)

Hope you have seen enough time if not then press the Time buttons Above to learn more about these times.

Past Indefinite Tense vs Present Perfect Tense QUIZ

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