I've studied the present perfect for years!

How long have you tried to use the present perfect tense correctly? This week some of my students have asked me for some examples that show the difference between the present perfect and the simple past tenses.

The basic rule for these examples is that the simple past is generally used when a time period has finished and the present moment does not form part of it. To make the idea clearer, I have coloured the examples for the simple past in red and the ones for the present perfect in blue.

"Yesterday, I picked 2 kilos of figs from the tree in my garden. So far today, I have picked one and half kilos. This week I have collected enough figs to make jam for all my friends. Last summer the tree didn't produce much fruit and I couldn't make enough jam for everyone."

"When I was at school, I tried to learn French. From the age of 10 until I left school, at 18, I studied a lot but I didn't speak French to anyone. Since I left school I have studied other languages and for the last twenty-five years I have spoken Spanish because I have lived in a Spanish-speaking area. For as long as I've lived in this area, I have understood the importance of speaking a language when you are learning."

Notice that some in some cases the same expression can use both tenses. However, the same rule applies:

"I lived in England for 35 years. For the last twenty-five years I didn't like the cold weather and I complained a lot. Then I came to Spain and for the last twenty-five years I have enjoyed warmer weather and I have not complained so much."

In the first part, those twenty-five years form part of the period of 35 years, which are not connected to the present.

Write some examples of your own in the comments and I will let you know if they are good ones or how they could be improved.