Grammar The present perfect and the simple past

Grammar The present perfect and the simple past. Focus: To be able to distinguish between the simple past and present perfect tenses.

Past and present Decide which columns these sentences belong in. Past I saw a film I watch a film I drive a car I eat a meal Present I listen to music I ate a meal I drove a car I listened to music

Past and present Decide which columns these sentences belong in. Past Present I saw a film I listened to music I drove a car I watch a film I ate a meal I eat a meal I listen to music I drive a car Where would you place this sentence? I have eaten a meal. It is in the past, but it is called the Present Perfect tense. What do you notice about it? How confusing!

There are different types of tenses. Here are two of them. Simple Past I saw a film. I listened to music. I drove a car. I ate a meal. Present Perfect I have watched a film. listened to music. driven a car. eaten a meal. Where would you place these? I kept warm. I swam. He has made the coffee. She has walked. I talked.

Past and Present The present perfect tense uses have + past participle. (Usually verbs ending in –ed or –en). I walked I have walked Present perfect: They have watched a film. She has listened to music. I have driven a car. We have eaten a meal.

Activity: In your books, sort the sentences below into present perfect and simple past. I have watched a film. She walked. We have eaten. You have eaten an apple. I read the magazine. The baby cried. She has listened to some music. She has swum. They thought. He climbed a tree. The door has broken. We talked. We have talked. Mr Cobbett has eaten a pizza. Explain in one or two sentences how to spot the present perfect tense and how to spot the simple past.