Questions tagged [past-simple]
Questions related to the past simple, simple past or preterite, which is mainly used to describe events in the past.
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"Did you watch this movie?" or "Have you watched this movie?"
What is the difference between
Did you watch this movie?
and
Have you watched this movie?
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3
votes
3
answers
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What's the difference between the simple past tense and the present perfect? [duplicate]
The simple past tense indicates that an activity or situation began
and ended at a particular time in the past.
The present perfect expresses the idea that something happened (or
never ...
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55
votes
4
answers
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I'm being corrected "I had a headache yesterday" vs "I have had a headache yesterday"
My friend asked me just today, "Hey, how are you?"
I said, "Tired, sleepy, and can't concentrate on my work."
He then asked, "Why so?"
Here is where the interesting part starts.
I ...
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votes
3
answers
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Which is more appropriate? "I was married" OR "I have been married"?
Suppose, we're (I and my wife) asked by people how long our marriage is since we got married. Which tense should I use? Past tense or perfect tense or else?
We were married for 15 years.
We've been ...
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6
votes
2
answers
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'Have just finished' vs. 'Just finished': What is the difference?
I have just finished my homework.
I just finished my homework.
I think there must be a difference in meaning.
Could anyone tell me the difference in meaning sentence 1 and sentence 2?
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1
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"was created" vs "has been created"
When I create something in the past and do not mention the time, the first thing that comes to my mind is: Present Prefect (PP)
I'd use the PP to describe an action when the time is not important and ...
5
votes
2
answers
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I lived Vs. I was living
In 1999, I was living in Cuba.
In 1999, I lived in Cuba.
Do both sentences seem grammatically correct?
My teacher had told that the first sentence, which is with past continuous, is incorrect. ...
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1
vote
2
answers
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What is the difference between "he was saying", "he says" and "he said"?
Are there any shades of meaning between the use of the past continuous, present simple and past simple in the following sentences?
He was saying that he is going to leave soon.
He says that he ...
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11
votes
2
answers
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views
Is the present perfect ok in "We have seen them in 2011"?
Please look at the following emphasized sentence taken from the news Curfew without end.
Neither of these — the government’s curfew and restrictions, or the protest programmes of the secessionist ...
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6
votes
2
answers
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weren't playing vs didn't play
Did your team win the football match yesterday?
The weather was very bad, so we weren't playing.
vs
The weather was very bad, so we didn't play.
Is the first one not correct? Why is it?
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4
votes
2
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Using Simple Present Tense for general truth in the past
Okay, I know it may sounds silly but I just can't get this question out of my head.
So one of the functions of simple present tense is to state general truths. Like, "The sun rises from the east," ...
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4
votes
1
answer
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"I didn't know Ed was Welsh" or "I didn't know Ed is Welsh"? [duplicate]
I came across these two sentences and asked myself whether I could always use both versions:
I didn't know Ed was Welsh.
Did you know that Cliff's wife is Canadian?
Both relates to someone's ...
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3
votes
2
answers
1k
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“have despatched...yesterday” vs. “despatched … yesterday” [duplicate]
I have a doubt in the below sentence whether to use Past Simple or Present Perfect Tense,
We have despatched the parcel yesterday.
We despatched the parcel yesterday.
I know the second one is ...
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2
votes
1
answer
2k
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past continuous or past simple
At the dentist's:
I was on time for my dentist's appointment, but the dentist was still busy with another patient, so I sat in the waiting room and read some of the old magazines lying there. All ...
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2
votes
3
answers
4k
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What is correct "Your father just told me" or "Your father has just told me."
In Oscar a 1991 American slapstick crime comedy film directed by John Landis, I heard: "Your father just told me".
Why do not correct to say "Your father has just told me."?
Because in "How English ...
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2
votes
1
answer
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Have been Vs was/were
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-48339080
There have been seven weeks of protests outside the site from which
"hundreds" of pupils were kept away on Monday.
Why does the ...
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2
votes
2
answers
882
views
"He/she is the first to..." vs. "he/she was the first to..."
Could you tell me if there is any difference in meaning between the following sentences?
Neil Armstrong is the first man to step on the Moon surface.
Neil Armstrong was the first man to step on the ...
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2
votes
3
answers
582
views
Why wasn't "When I was in Sharm El-Sheikh, I *have sunbathed* a lot" a good answer?
When I was in Sharm El-Sheikh, I .... a lot
A) Have sunbathed B) Was sunbathing C) Would sunbathe D) Sunbathed
why it can't be "have sunbathed" as verb sunbathe means to make the skin brown or ...
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2
votes
4
answers
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Difference between last year and in the last year, and the meaning of this week in present prefect
Q1: I learnt "last year" and "in the last year" are very different in meaning. In my understanding, "last year" seems to be a indivisible time frame when it is used in past simple. For example, today ...
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votes
1
answer
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Simple past vs Perfect Past
A) He was arrested by police.
B) He had been arrested by police.
In newspaper reporter want to tell about past event that has already happened.
In above statements Reporter conveyed same meaning, ...
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1
vote
2
answers
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Does "She had a brother" mean that her brother is dead?
My Friend has sent me this riddle to solve:
"If you solve this, then you are a genius. Mr.Smith has 4
daughters🙍♀🙍♀🙍♀🙍♀ and each daughter had a brother. How many
children does Mr. ...
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1
vote
1
answer
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views
visited or has visited this morning?
It is 11:30 in the morning and someone visited me from 10:00 to 11:00 the same morning. Can I say : she has visited me this morning, even though the visit has finished, but it is still morning, or ...
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1
vote
2
answers
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views
Present perfect and past simple with if and when
I have trouble understanding when to use present perfect and past simple in situations like these.
It's possibile to use this tense if /when you have taken/took some time ,days for example to ...
1
vote
2
answers
865
views
Difference between present and past simple after 'suggested that'
These are the sentences that I found in Cambridge grammar books:
I suggested that she bought a car.
I suggested that he gives up golf.
Both of the sentences above start in the past simple but ...
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vote
1
answer
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views
Would it be possible to change past perfect into simple past
She invited me to dinner. But it _____ two years since I _____ to her house. So I lost my way.
The answer is "was", "had gone" but would it be possible to change "had gone" into "went" because if ...
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vote
2
answers
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The police arrested two people early this morning. Why simple past and not present perfect?
I've realized that I don't really use the present perfect and simple past correctly. My main problem is that when doing exercises I've found the explanations to be (sometimes) forced.
Some of the ...
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vote
7
answers
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Using "recently" with past simple
Is it fine to use recently with the past simple tense in the following sentence?
Did you read any books recently?
Is it grammatically correct?
Or do I have to use:
Have you read any books ...
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1
vote
5
answers
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just(recently) + present perfect or simple past
I heard many people saying "he just left the room", but I read that just(recently) is used with present perfect. So are people just omitting has?
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1
answer
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He was working or worked for my father in the 1990s
Tom, who was working for my father in the 1990s, is now living in Ohio.
Is it correct or should it be in Past Simple? I think it is correct because it is an action which was in progress in the past ...
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0
votes
2
answers
7k
views
The baby was sleeping or slept? [closed]
I'm having a misunderstanding regarding Past Simple and Past Prog.
The baby was sleeping peacefully through the night.
or
The baby slept peacefully through the night.
Are both work? If not, ...
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0
votes
2
answers
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views
past simple or past perfect why
Please take a look at the sleeve notes of the revolving paint dreams lp "off to heaven"creation lp a great record by the way.
The last story I heard that Alan Mc Gee (boss label) had tried to ...
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0
votes
1
answer
489
views
Simple past or past perfect with "by" and years
What is the difference between
He became a star by 1990's.
He had become a star by 1990's.
Is the first sentence correct? If yes, then please tell me the difference between the two.
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0
votes
1
answer
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views
I had got to eat burger [closed]
I know "I had had to eat burger" is the "past perfect tense" and "I had to eat burger" is "simple past tense" and we normally not use "got" in the ...
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votes
3
answers
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Past Perfect or Past Simple?
Which is more correct:
Recently I was hungry
or
Recently I have been hungry
I think that the second variant is more correct.
Could you please explain to me what do you think about it.
Thank ...
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votes
1
answer
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views
"I have ridden a rollercoaster and now I'm dizzy" - correct or not?
I am not a native English speaker, and the sentence in the title came up yesterday when I was talking with my friend (who is a native English speaker) about English grammar.
Consider the sentence
...
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votes
1
answer
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views
Why is the Past Perfect not used here?
A quote from The Innocents Abroad, by Mark Twain:
A devout lady who died, left money and contracted for unlimited masses
for the repose of her soul, and also stipulated that this lamp should
be ...
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votes
3
answers
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Should I use the past simple "I learned", or the present perfect "I've learned"?
Please explain which is correct:
I've learned to ride a bicycle when I was five
I learned to ride a bicycle when I was five
For me both of them are correct.
barraza.ae
5
votes
3
answers
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views
For or Since or Nothing
Following situation is given:
Sue has been in France for the last three weeks.
I have to repeat this sentence using, "She went ...", I would say something like this:
"She went to France three ...
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votes
1
answer
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views
Using "just" and "just now"
Is it correct to say for sure that we use "just" with Present Perfect and "just now" with Past Simple and it's incorrect to do it vice versa?
For example:
I've just done it.
I did it just now.
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2
answers
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Is the following usage of past progressive correct?
What is the difference between the past continuous and the simple past usage of these sentences?
They were fighting Nazis for three days.
And
They fought Nazis for three days.
Can ...
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votes
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answers
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tense usage: "It has been (is) two weeks since I've seen (last saw) you"
A. It is two weeks since I've seen you.
B. It has been two weeks since I've seen you.
C. It is two weeks since I(last) saw you.
Would you please show me which of the sentences would be correct, and ...
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votes
1
answer
327
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Question format using did
Is there any meaning difference in below questions?
a) Which movie you saw yesterday?
b) Which movie did you see yesterday?
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votes
1
answer
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Difference between "Have Thought", "Have Just Thought" and "Just Thought"?
I was told that use of present perfect is incorrect in the context below as thinking action is discrete event and there isn't any relevance with the current situation. (Context is a situation where I'...
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votes
2
answers
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Perfect vs past simple when relating to personal experience
It seems to me that if somebody were to ask me:
Yeah, how do you know what war is like?
The most fitting response would be:
Because, you see, I have fought in a war.
But if someone would ask ...
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votes
2
answers
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Difference between "did save" and "saved"
What is the difference between the two following sentences?
1) Where did you save that file?
And
2) Where you saved that file ?
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2
votes
1
answer
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Past Perfect VS Past Simple in the context of previous experience
I have three extracts:
1st:
A: Do you know this man?
B: Yes, I had met him before war, but I haven't seen him since that
time.
2nd:
A: Is he a student?
B: Yes, he studies at our ...
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votes
3
answers
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He {went / has gone / had gone} out 5 minutes ago
He ... out 5 minutes ago
options:
a)went b)has gone c)had gone
MyApproach:
I choose has gone because it expresses an action that was completed very recent past i.e just 5 minutes ago although the ...
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votes
2
answers
1k
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Have you changed or did you change
This is from a newspaper:
Have you radically changed your dress sense in later life?
We would like to hear from people who have changed their dress style dramatically.
Did you undergo a style ...
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2
votes
3
answers
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Just + simple past: "I just watched" vs. "I've just watched"
I don't know if I'm supposed to write an intro before the question since I'm new here lol I'd like to know if it's correct to use just followed by the simple past, e.g.:
I just watched the first ...
2
votes
3
answers
2k
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Should this reported speech use "was" or "had been" to convert "was"?
When you have a sentence in the direct speech talking about someone’s age such as “a producer discovered me when I was 13”
How does it change into the reported speech?
he said a producer had ...
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