Present Perfectvs Past Simple
Choosing the right tense
CEFR Pathway · You are here
Warm-up · Section 1
5 minGet talking
Tell your partner: 1 thing you've done in your life (general). 1 thing you did yesterday (specific). Hear the tense difference.
Share 1 piece of personal news. Use Present Perfect to announce it, then Past Simple to give details.
Partner says a time word ('ever', 'in 2020', 'yet', 'last year'). You must say a sentence using the correct tense. 1 minute, no stopping.
Grammar focus · Section 2
8–10 minThe golden rule: is the time specified?
Present Perfect = the time is NOT specified or NOT important (ever, never, before, in my life, this week).
→ I've broken my phone! (announcement — when isn't important)
→ I broke it yesterday on the bus. (detail — specific time)
→ Have you ever met a famous person? — Yes, I met Adele in 2019.
→ I've been to Spain three times. I went there last summer with my family.
More detail
Past Simple = the time IS specified or finished (yesterday, last year, in 2020, when I was a kid, ago). The classic pattern: ANNOUNCE news with Present Perfect, then add DETAILS in Past Simple.
Question 1.I ____ ____ my keys! Can you help me look?
Question 2.She ____ ____ to Japan in 2018.
Question 3.Guess what — I ____ ____ a new flat!
Question 4.We ____ ____ each other when we ____ at university.
Question 5.____ you ever ____ skiing? — Yes, once. I ____ it last winter.
Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.
1.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
2.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
3.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
Vocabulary · Section 3
5–7 minWords & phrases to own
Don't just read these — say one out loud, then use it about your life.
to break the news
to tell someone something important / surprising
"I had to break the news to my parents."
When did you last break news to someone?
guess what!
informal: I have news
"Guess what! We got the flat!"
Break a real piece of news now using 'Guess what!'
you'll never believe it
phrase to hype up news
"You'll never believe what happened on the bus."
Use this phrase to start a real story.
out of the blue
completely unexpectedly
"He proposed out of the blue."
Share one out-of-the-blue moment from this year.
long story short
let me skip to the main point
"Long story short — we missed the flight."
Tell a long story in 2 sentences using 'long story short'.
how come?
informal: why?
"You're moving? How come?"
Ask your partner a 'how come?' question now.
no kidding!
expression of surprise
"You won? No kidding!"
React with 'No kidding!' to your partner's news.
to fill someone in
to give someone the missing details
"Let me fill you in on what happened."
Fill your partner in on your week in 30 seconds.
Discuss with a partner
- →Take turns sharing one real piece of news and reacting in 3 different ways.
- →Fill your partner in on something that happened last weekend.
Finish the sentence about you
- Guess what! …
- You'll never believe …
- Long story short, …
60-second write
Write a 5-line dialogue where one person breaks news and the other reacts.
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Pronunciation · Section 4
3–4 minWeak forms of 'have' vs strong forms
- • I've seen it → /aɪv ˈsiːn ɪt/ (weak)
- • Yes, I HAVE → /jes aɪ hæv/ (strong)
- • She's gone → /ʃiːz gɒn/ (weak)
- • Has she? Yes, she HAS → /hæz ʃiː / jes ʃiː hæz/
How to say it
In Present Perfect statements, 'have' / 'has' are weak and contracted: /əv/ /əz/. But in short answers, they become STRONG: 'Yes, I HAVE.' /hæv/. Hearing the strong form tells you the speaker is confirming a Present Perfect — a key listening clue.
Reading · Section 5
8–10 minBig news from Mia
Hi everyone, you'll never believe it — I've quit my job! I know, out of the blue. Long story short: my boss promoted someone else last month and that was the final straw. I handed in my notice on Friday. So… I've decided to take three months off. I've already booked a flight to Bali and I've signed up for a yoga teacher training. My friends think I've gone crazy, but honestly? I've never felt more excited. I'll fill you in properly when we meet.
Question 1.What is Mia's main news?
Question 2.Why did she quit?
Question 3.What has she signed up for?
Q1.Mia handed in her notice last week.
Q2.She's already in Bali.
Q3.She regrets her decision.
Listening · Section 6
8–10 minCatching up over coffee
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Liam:Hey! How's life? I haven't seen you in ages.
Zoe:I know! Guess what — I've moved house.
Liam:No way! When did that happen?
Zoe:Two weeks ago. We found a place in the north of the city. The garden's tiny, but we love it.
Liam:Amazing. And how come you didn't tell me?
Zoe:Long story short, it all happened really fast. The old landlord sold the flat in January, and we had four weeks to find somewhere new. What about you — what have you been up to?
Question 1.What's Zoe's news?
Question 2.When did she move?
Question 3.Why did she have to move?
Exam skills · Section 7
5 minCambridge PET — Reading & Use of English Part 6 (open cloze)
Task
Choose between Present Perfect and Past Simple based on time markers in the sentence.
Strategy
Scan for TIME WORDS first. Words like 'ever', 'never', 'just', 'already', 'yet', 'this week', 'so far' → Present Perfect. Words like 'yesterday', 'last…', 'in 2020', '…ago', 'when' → Past Simple. If there's no time word, ask: is the time finished or unfinished? Finished period → Past Simple.
Example
'I ____ (live) here for five years.' → 'have lived' (period is still continuing). 'I ____ (live) there for five years when I was a kid.' → 'lived' (period finished).
Practice · Section 8
8–10 minFill in the blank
Question 1.I ____ ____ my keys! Help!
Question 2.We ____ ____ Tom at the party last Saturday.
Question 3.She ____ ____ here since 2019.
Question 4.____ you ever ____ to an opera?
Question 5.I ____ ____ to Rome twice — I ____ ____ in 2018 and 2022.
Q1.Add a Past Simple detail to: 'I've been to New York.' (year?)
Q2.Announce news (Present Perfect): 'I / get / a new job!' →
Q3.React with surprise + question: 'I've moved house!' →
Writing · Section 9
5 minPut it in writing
Your task
Write a 100-word 'catch-up' email to a friend. Open with one piece of NEWS in Present Perfect, then give DETAILS in Past Simple. Ask one question back.
Show model answer
Hi Sara, long time no speak! Guess what — I've finally moved out of my parents' place! I know, finally. I found a tiny studio in the centre last month and I moved in two weeks ago. It's small but it's all mine. The rent isn't cheap, but I've already saved a bit by cooking at home (a miracle, I know). I've also adopted a cat — her name is Pixel and she's chaos. Anyway — enough about me. What have you been up to? Have you started the new job yet? Tell me everything! Hugs, Marco
Speaking · Section 10
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
BIG NEWS CATCH-UP · You haven't seen your partner for 6 months. You each have 3 pieces of 'news' (real or invented). Take turns. Speaker ANNOUNCES with Present Perfect ('Guess what — I've…') then immediately gives DETAILS in Past Simple. Listener MUST ask a Past Simple follow-up before swapping. 5 minutes total.
Useful phrases
- • Guess what — I've…
- • You'll never believe it — I've…
- • No way! When did that happen?
- • How come?
- • Long story short, I…
- • Fill me in!
- AGuess what — I've adopted a dog!
- B_______________
- ALast Saturday. We picked him up from the shelter.
- B_______________
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Don't over-explain — drill the time-word trigger list and let speed do the teaching. ~30 min total
Homework · Section 11
Take-homeTake it home
Write 5 'announcement → detail' pairs (e.g. 'I've started a podcast! I recorded the first episode last week.').
Record a 90-second 'big news' voicemail to a friend, mixing both tenses.
Read an English celebrity-news article; underline every Present Perfect and Past Simple verb.
Recap · Section 12
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- Present Perfect = unspecified or unfinished time.
- Past Simple = specified or finished time.
- Announce news in Present Perfect, give details in Past Simple.
- Time-word trigger list: ever/never/just/already/yet/this week → PP.
- Time-word trigger list: yesterday/last…/in 2020/ago → PS.