- IslamBehery December 2018
We use the simple past to talk about a specific time in the past. Maybe, "Yesterday, I went to the store". This is one time I went to the store. The present perfect, on the other hand, is more general. We simple talk about whether we have experienced or done something before now (so, from the past up to the present moment....not 1 time). An example sentence might go like, A: "Have you ever been to Egypt?" B: "Yes, I have." (both are in the present perfect because we are talking about a range of time...from the past to the present has it been done). A: "Oh, when did you go?" B: "I went last year." (Now using the simple past because we're talking about a specific time).
simple past is used to talk about an action that is finished in the past however present perfect is used to talk about an action happened in the past and still continue...