Grammar Rules · Present perfect vs. simple past
Present perfect vs. simple past.
If the sentence names a finished time (yesterday, last year, in 2023), use the simple past: "I saw him yesterday." Use the present perfect (have/has + past participle) when the time is open or the result matters now: "I have lost my keys." Questions that ask when something happened take the simple past: "When did you arrive?"
Wrong → right
| Common mistake | Corrected |
|---|---|
| I have seen him yesterday. | I saw him yesterday. |
| When have you arrived? | When did you arrive? |
| She has left the company in 2023. | She left the company in 2023. |
| He has been to Japan last summer. | He went to Japan last summer. |
| We have finished the project two weeks ago. | We finished the project two weeks ago. |
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