Present Perfect and Times – Lesson 3

so you know that present perfect is for
experiences right and you shouldn’t use
it with specific times right well to
give more detail it’s for experiences
until now and you can use a time
reference if that time is still
continuing now what what do you mean let
me give you an example yesterday I have
broken up with my boyfriend why is this
bad well yesterday
that’s a finished time you can only use
present perfect with a specific time if
that time is still continuing so this
year this month this week today those
times still continue now yesterday no
that’s a finished time it’s in the past
and it’s finished so an example we can
use is this her friend could ask have
you eaten anything today today is still
now now we’re still today that time
still continues so this is okay from
this morning until now have you eaten
remember that’s just asking yes or no
you ate or no it’s not asking when what
did you eat not know specific details so
her answer could be what she wants to
say today yes food yes I have or in a
negative no I haven’t if she wants to
say this I haven’t eaten breakfast this
morning
when is it okay remember what I said
before if the time still continues now
and it’s okay but if that time is
finished it’s not okay you must use past
simple so if it is still the morning
this is fine because that time is still
continuing now but if it’s now the
afternoon 3:30 in the afternoon no
that’s not the morning that is now a
finished time so in this case she can’t
use present perfect
she must use past simple I didn’t eat
breakfast this morning
now that’s okay because that’s a
finished time so now she
needs to use passing books here are some
more examples to make it more clear
again the question is asking experience
until now yes or no have you seen the
New Avengers movie he could answer until
now no I haven’t if he says yes yes I
have I have that experience he could now
switch to past simple I saw it last
night he switched to past simple here
because he’s giving a specific time and
last night that’s in the past it’s
finished so that must be past simple
another example maybe the angry
girlfriend is saying you haven’t sent me
a heart emoji today and his reply is
this I’ve been working all day you
confused about this one well we answer
your questions about this in the next
video if you’re happy and you understand
all that click here to watch the next
lesson try some of your own sentences or
questions in the comments using present
perfect and past simple