Lesson 9 – Step 3 – (grammar point or function)

Goal

It’s time to learn how to use these two tenses: present perfect and past simple. Using them appropriately will help you communicate much better.

You can watch the video or go straight to the written explanation. You decide! Once you’ve finished, you can move to step 4.

Language Discovery

Look at the sentences  in the first video in the text in step 1. What do they have in common?

•  They are in present perfect

Look at the sentences in the second video in the text in step 1. What do they have in common?

•  They are in past simple

General notions 

Present Perfect

• We use the present perfect to talk about past experiences or recent past when we don’t specify a time.

• We use ever in questions to mean at any point in your life.

Have you ever skied down a mountain?

• We use never to say that you haven’t done something in your life. We use never in affirmative sentences

I have never skied down a mountain.

I haven’t never skied down a mountain.

Past simple

• We use the past simple for finished actions at a specific moment.

Present perfect or past simple 

Conversations about  past experiences can start in the present perfect, and then continue in the past simple to give more details.

A- Have you ever been to Brazil?

B- Yes, I have. I went there 3 years ago

A- Did you enjoy it?

B- I loved it. We stayed there for 2 weeks…

Extra

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Be careful!       been to vs gone to

Peter has been to Texas→  He went there in the past, but he is back now. He is no longer in Texas

Peter has gone to Texas→ He is in Texas right now. He has not come back yet.

Conclusión

Ready? Terrific! Let’s move on to step 3 to practise what you’ve learnt in this step.