Past perfect vs present perfect12/6/2023 Then at half past five I took your corgis for a walk. When you do this, you use the past simple. Plus here, Jeeves is telling a story of past events, like a list of things. It’s a completed action, that is not being repeated or having any effect on the present moment. He ironed the newspaper and then it was finished. This time does not connect to the present time. Plus he said the exact time in the past when it happened (5am). He did NOT continue to keep getting up lots of times. He did it one time and it was completed/ended/finished. Past & Present together = Present Perfect WHY IS IT PAST SIMPLE? I got up at 5am and then the first thing I did was to iron your newspaper. In his opinion the morning has not finished – it is still happening. Jeeves is thinking about all the past time of the morning up to now. … you have definitely had an extremely difficult morning. A past action that has a clear result now in the present moment. With this sentence she is saying, “I arrived a short time ago and Look! Here I am in front of you”. ‘Just’ often goes with the present perfect. Jeeves is thinking of all the time in the morning up to AND including NOW. All the time of the morning, there wasn’t any moment when he cleaned the crown and we can see the result now: an unclean, unpolished crown. This is because of Jeeves NOT doing any cleaning of it throughout the whole morning. There is a result of a dirty, unpolished, uncleaned crown in the present. …that is why I haven’t cleaned your crown yet. There is a specific, visible result in the present because of a past action. It would be possible for the Queen to still see the evidence of the dogs’ action. Jeeves implies/means that the dog poo (or some of it) is still on the throne… he is in the middle of cleaning it/he has not finished the cleaning yet. It would be the same meaning if the Queen said, “What have you done IN ALL THE TIME OF THIS MORNING UP UNTIL THIS MOMENT NOW?” …your beloved doggies have done their “toilet business” all over the royal throne. This morning is a time period that has not finished in the speaker’s opinion. Think of yet as meaning ‘up until now’ Then please tell me what have you done this morning? Same as 1. This is thinking about the past and the present at the same time. You started reading the blog a few minutes ago (the PAST) and you have continued reading it… up until now (the PRESENT). Have you finished reading this blog yet? No, I haven’t finished reading this blog yet. He is thinking about the past and all the time continuing up until now. yet is a keyword for the present perfect. I’m afraid that I haven’t had time to do that yet. So she is thinking about some point in the past AND all the time up until now (‘now’ is still part of ‘today’) No, Madam. Present Perfect v Past Simple WHY IS IT PRESENT PERFECT? Jeeves, have you polished my crown today? ‘Today’ for the Queen is not finished… the time/today is still continuing, so in her opinion, ‘today’ is still NOW. J: Well, Madam, you have definitely had an extremely difficult morning. I left the palace at quarter to eleven to go and open a supermarket… and I’ve just arrived back. And may I ask your Highness, what have you done this morning? Did you meet the Prime Minister? Q: No, Jeeves, no. Q: Oh no! J: So, Madam, that is why I haven’t cleaned your crown yet. I’m afraid to say that your beloved doggies have done their “toilet business” all over the royal throne. What was it? J: Well, Madam it is a rather delicate matter. J: But then I discovered something in the palace. J: From 8 until 10, I was cutting out pictures of Prince Harry from the newspapers… for the family album, of course. Then at 6 o’clock I took Prince Philip to the bathroom. J: Then at half past five I took your corgis for a walk. I got up at 5am and then the first thing I did was to iron your newspaper. Q: WHy not? Then please tell me what have you done this morning? J: Well, let me see. Q = Queen J = Jeeves Q: Jeeves, have you polished my crown today? J: No, Madam. Then get deep into understanding the choice between the two tenses with the grammar explanations of each sentence. If you need help with the words, look at the transcript below. Enjoy the video which has both present perfect and past simple examples. Present Perfect v Past Simple grammar issues cause lots of problems for English students.
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