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Grammar – Past Simple vs. Present Perfect
What are the simple past and present perfect used for? And more importantly, how do you use them properly? I answer these questions in this grammar lesson.
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English Grammar – Present Perfect Simple & Present Perfect Continuous
English Grammar – Present Simple & Present Progressive
English Grammar – How to use SINCE and FOR with the Present Perfect
English Grammar – Introduction to Past Progressive
English Grammar – Tag Questions
English Grammar – Making simple “TO BE” questions
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70 Comments on “Grammar – Past Simple vs. Present Perfect”
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Levels
Lesson Topics
English Teachers
PATRICIA
I COULDN’T GET THE PERFECT PRESENT (HOW MANY TIMES, HOW LONG)
COULD YOU GIVE US MORE EXAMPLES
Hello James,
thank you for the great explanation.
Take care
Hoppel
Hoppel
Ngoc Anh
I want to study english.
Augusta
Thanks for this explanation. I always did a little confusion between both.
Gandhy..MX
great video james, the video is very clearly and easy to understand, thanks a lot for the explanation :D:D put more more more i want to learn more english i miss canada jajaja and i miss your crazy class jaja
roman
Thanks a lot!
Your videos are very interesting.
Serge
I agree with Patricia. James give us more examples.
Res bob
good job
Reynaldo
It was easy your lesson,good,thank you James!
darci
Helo James. I love your classes!
Can I give you a sugestion: If you use a regular verb in youe e.g., it will make the comprehension easier for foreigners, because READ is irregular. Isn’t it?
thanks a lot
Great! I strongly agree with you Darci.
But I also agree with the fact that James is a fantastic English teacher.
He is a blessed person! Keep up a good work James…
John_Br
osama dergham
hi james how are you ? thanks for Explain the simple past and present perfect . but please we need more examples for present perfect .thanks a lot ..
Hi Osoma ! with due regard allow me to help you with your English. you should say ( thanks for explaining and not thanks for explain )Don’t forget after the prepositions ,all the verbs must be followed by ing .
any doubt text me .
ricardo alessandro
aldammak
Thank you very much
Alena
I’m from Russia. James, I’d like to say that you are such a nice and handsome man. I like your lessons, your vocabulary is easy to understand. How old are you and where do you live?))
khavi
than you for help
mohammad
hi james thnks for all
I love u
again I I appreciate u for all dear
:X:*
Rommel
Thanks again !
I’m going to have an exam by this weekend !
Yr explaination would help me a lot.
Tks, James !
amzyhope
Yet, I could understand clearly what is the perfect present and how to use!! I was always confused about the situation of the simple past or the perfect present. You showed me that simply. THANKS!!
superaaron
My next English class is going to be easy..!!
edgar lemus
thanks james for you every day I am learnig much english I like your lessons james can you explain me whats mean turn it on turn it up and turn me loose Im going to thanks so much bye bye Edar lemus from Richmond Virginia
MZM
Hi! I am Muhammad Zaman Mustafaw and I am an English teacher. I love to learn more about language. I love the way that you teach. Can you answer that What is the difference between complement and object in a setence. Thanks.
waqas
hi sir now i hyave got the difference between the uses of past simple and present perfest however i want to that the uses of past simple with preposition to.thx
mhaq
Dear Sir,
Hope yor are doing well. I am from Pakistan and every day I go through your video. You are a nice and good tacher. Sir I want to Improve my english and want to appear in IELTS, i have tried thrice but i am afraid of taking the test please HELP me out of this problem.
With Regards,
Mohsin ul haq
GraceMoon
Thanks! You’re really cute, and funny!
That makes learning such a great time!!
Hugs
From Brazil
sireesha
THANKS , I LIKED THE WAY U TEACH AND WANT TO TEACH THE ENGLISH LIKE U
asad ullah
I enjoyed alot listning you and feeling perfection in the field of english.I hope you will applicate more and more new methods in teaching of english.
thanks alot
Mr Asadullah Chitrali
Israa
It is really interesting . thank you. But where can I do exercises about it ?
yara-s
thank u very much i rly got it !
Kristel
when u change have and use off when u speak? and when u say i’ve ?
ai
very clear easy to understand.thank you James.
Dyzelisz
Can someone give for me an explain about Present Perfect? :>
fickkle
very nice idea thank u mr james
Lash
hove nice this English lesson… But if this have more example it will be more valuable.. Thank you James…. I LOVE http://WWW.ENGVID.COM ##@@@%%%^^&&**(())__!!@@#$%^^
Roma
Thx so much, you did it great for us
Aslam
Wow thank’s james for your video thank’s alot
Pavoreal
James I was a little confused but thanks.
mido
could you correct ofr me this the flash’s concert was/has been fantastic . and why????
soul
thanks alot
Yury
Good lessons. You’re cool teacher. Thanks a lot.
sabarish
hi james how are you ? thanks for Explain the simple past and present perfect . but please we need more examples for present perfect .thanks a lot ..
sabarish
Thanks for this explanation.And i always has a little confusion between both.
sabarish
would help me in how to use the phrasal verbs
cristina
so simple and comprehensive…thanks a lot
Naveed khattal
i is very well. and i provde to you people to do this type of lession. thanks a lot
sabarish
it is very well. and i provde to you people to do this type of lesson. thanks a lot
please help more children and i will tell to my friends to learn the grammar through http://www.engvid.com THANK YOU
Midgard
James, it`s great! Thank you so much!
Miguel
Thanks for your time…Excellent Video great explanation!!
kahayne
have any tips on summary writing?
accountant
Mr . James
thank you
Sophak
Dear James,
I have one question: Between Past Simple and Present Perfect, which one happened first?
Thanks,
Maria Helena
Hi James, thanks so much for your videos. They really help a lot. But, I wonder if you’ve got the “scripts” of your videos, specially the one on the Past simple x present perfect. I’d like to take this video to my students, but without a script I’m sure they will lose a lot of important information.
Anyway, congratulations on your job. You’re a great teacher.
Bye.
maria helena
Inna
Hello, James!
i’ve enjoyed the video! but it’s not even close for what our teachers telling us! especially for the pres perfect)))
thanks truly))
p.s. what about past perfect???
ashley
thanks alot
Laylah
Hi, James!
I was just to give you many thanks for your nice English videos. I enjoy very much your fantastic teaching.
crissa
Hi James:)Very useful lesson indeed.I have a question…’as soon as’ and ‘not long after that” which one can be used only with Past Tense or only with Present Perfect?Thanks!
hissoka
hi sir
really i can t get this lesson and i dont know why ?
plz sir i have some questions about persent p bcz i feel angry cause i have learned it more than twenty time but i didn t get it well .plz help me .
well. you explained in ur teaching video that the past s is included on the question ( when)and the present p includes the meaning of ( how long ) .but when we ask :
have u taken ur medicine?
there is no meaning of ( how long )
I hope that you may have understood my intentio
thank you sir
LAYLAH
Thanks James, You are a very good teacher.
hissoka
hi laylah
plz if understand well answer me .i read story about the race and when the hero won . all said to him that ( yes . u did it ) but the others said to him ( u have done it ) .
so we can use them ( persent perfect and past simple ) when the time is unknown
Ruslana
for me past simple + past perfect are so hard …. but it is really important lesson …. thanks alot =)
Dima
Hey James Ive really enjoyed your presentation, but how is it, when you want to say the following: Then the shares _____ (fall) steadily for 3 months. It should be present perfect because you ask, for how long, right?
critrian
hi, my name is cristian rodrigo bermudez, and I live in mar del plata-argentina.
I like so much your video, are very easy for learning,because you explain very very good.
well…I’ve gotta go,goodbye.
You are the best.:)
hi
Hi, i want to study english with you
lydia
hi james
i really enjoy studing english with you.
Jadd
Hi james,
Great video but give us some examples of present perfect about how long and how many times.
weeraya
Do you have the questions?
CRAZY
Hi james,
I have a doubt.why U dont use had in I HAVE READ THE ARTICLE
mazen elmasry
i’m frish in english can i understand and continue
thnx
saidaero
thank you james,keep it up
john
could u write the formula of the tenses…??