English Café: Present Perfect and dates in the past

Advanced Details: Present Perfect and dates in the past

Use the simple past when the action started in the past, finished in the past, and is not continuing now, e.g., We finished the job 2 days ago/on September 1, 2024. Use the present perfect when the action started in the past and is continuing now, e.g., We have worked on the job for 2 days/since September 1, 2024. The simple past tells us that an action happened at a certain time in the past, and is not continuing anymore. The present perfect tells us that an action began in the past and is still continuing now.

IMPORTANT: Time Expressions – Present Perfect NEVER use the same time expressions that you use in the past simple tense. Simple past uses time phrases such as yesterday, a week ago, last night. With present perfect, you MAY use unspecific time expressions such as ever, never, since, for, already, many times, before, so far, yet.