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5.6 Present Perfect and Simple Past: Indefinite or Definite Past Time

Present Perfect Simple Past
Luis has left. Luis left two hours ago.
I haven’t done my homework. I didn’t do my homework last night.
have you seen the new movie? Did you see the new movie last weekend?

1. Use the present perfect to talk about an indefinite They have left.
past action or situation. The exact time of the (They are not here now. When they left
action or situation is not known or important, but is not known or important.)
the result is.

2. Use the simple past for an action or event that They left last night.
happened at a definite time in the past. The past (The past time is stated.)
time is stated or understood.
A: What did you do after dinner?
B: I called my brother.
(The past time is understood.)
3. We often begin a conversation with a general A: have you seen that movie?
statement or question in the present perfect B: Yes, I saw it yesterday.
(indefinite time). Then, we provide details of time, A: What did you think of it?
place, and so on in the simple past (definite time). B: It was great!

4 Circle the correct form of the verbs to complete the conversation.

Christine: (1) Have you ever visited / Did you ever visit The Composites website?

Rose: Yes, (2) I’ve looked / I looked at it this morning!

Christine: What (3) have you thought / did you think of it?
Rose: It’s great! (4) I haven’t seen / I didn’t see anything like it before. (5) I’ve found /
I found a lot of characters on the site from books I’ve read. In fact, (6) I’ve started /
I started a new novel last week, and I want to pay more attention to the

descriptions from now on.
Christine: Good idea! I love the novel Jane Eyre, and I (7) have read / read it many times. Last

year I (8) watched / have watched a movie based on the book. The actress who
played Jane (9) surprised / has surprised me. She (10) looked / has looked just
like the description in the book. That doesn’t happen very often.

5 Complete the conversation. Use the present perfect or the simple past form of the verbs
in parentheses.

Drew: (1) Have you seen (you / see) any Sherlock Holmes movies?

Joel: Yes, I (2) (watch) several of the old ones when I was in
college, but I (3) (not / see) one for a long time now.

138 The PReSeNT PeRFeCT
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