The past simple is used for actions or events that ended in the past, including the recent past. The present perfect is used for actions or events that are related to the present.
| Did you eat breakfast this morning?(Meaning: The morning has ended) |
| I had three exams this week.(Meaning: As in the example above, the use of the past simple indicates that the week has just ended.) |
| Have you eaten breakfast yet this morning?(Meaning: It is still morning) |
| I have had three exams already this week.(Meaning: As before, the use of the present perfect indicates that the week has not yet ended) |
Remember that we also use the present perfect for actions or events at an unspecified time in the past. If we want to limit the time of the actions or events to a period of time, we use expressions of time such as “last year”.
| I went to Cuba last year. |
| They saw a movie yesterday. |
| I have been to Cuba in the last year. |
They have seen a movie yesterday.
Note: Take note of the difference between the two first examples. The time expression “last year” is used in both, but in the second example, we have added the preposition “in”. In this example, with the use of “in”, we are identifying a period of time in which the action or event occurred, but not a specific time. On the other hand, if we don’t use the preposition “in”, “last year” indicates a specific time in the past.
Se utiliza el pasado simple para acciones que han terminado en el pasado, incluso si han ocurrido en un pasado reciente. Con el presente perfecto la acción está relacionada con el presente.
Ejemplos:
El pasado simple:
| Did you eat breakfast this morning?(Significa: La mañana ya ha terminado.) |
| I had three exams this week.(Significa: Como en el ejemplo anterior, el uso del pasado simple significa que esta semana acaba de terminar.) |
El presente perfecto:
| Have you eaten breakfast yet this morning?(Significa: La mañana aún no ha terminado.) |
| I have had three exams already this week.(Significa: Como antes, el uso del presente perfecto implica que esta semana aún no ha terminado.) |
Recuerda también que usamos el presente perfecto para acciones en un tiempo en el pasado no específico. Si quieres limitar el tiempo de las acciones en un período, podemos usar expresiones de tiempo como “last year”.
Ejemplos:
El pasado simple:
| I went to Cuba last year.(Fui a Cuba el año pasado.) |
| They saw a movie yesterday.(Vieron una película ayer.) |
El presente perfecto:
| I have been to Cuba in the last year.(He estado en Cuba este último año.) |
| They have seen a movie.(Ellos han visto una pelicula.) |
They have seen a movie yesterday.
Nota: Fíjate en la diferencia entre los dos primeros ejemplos. En ambos, se usa la expresión de tiempo “last year”, pero en el segundo ejemplo añadimos la preposición “in”. En este caso, “last year” significa dentro de un período de tiempo en que la acción ocurrió, no es un tiempo específico. Sin la preposición “in”, “last year” implica un tiempo específico.
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