Simple Past vs. Past Perfect: How to Use These English Tenses Correctly

01/20/2026 Learning & Grammer created by Manuel Koretz

English learners often face the question of whether to use the simple past or the past perfect. In English, the simple past and the present perfect are among the fundamental tenses that often cause confusion.

The subtle differences between these two forms can even leave experienced English learners scratching their heads. It's not uncommon for people learning English as a foreign language to mix up the use of these two tenses.

The Confusion between Simple Past and Past Perfect

This is often because they have equivalent tenses in German: the simple preterite for the simple past and the perfect for the present perfect. The similarity in structure can lead to confusion if one doesn't pay close attention to when to use which tense.

But don't worry, in the following sections we'll delve into the rules and signal words for the simple past and the present perfect. You'll learn how to correctly form and use these tenses, so you'll be more confident with them in the future. So, dive with us into the world of the simple past and the present perfect and let's make the difference between these two tenses clear and understandable.

Simple Past and Simple Perfect – Explained Briefly

Tense	Function	Education	Example
Simple Past	Describes completed actions in the past.	Infinitive + -ed (regular verbs) 2nd form (irregular verbs)	He walked down the street.
Present Perfect	Emphasizes the connection between past and present, especially in cases of actions that have just been completed or have an impact on the present.	have/has + Past Participle (with regular and irregular verbs)	We have finished the run.

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Signal Words for Simple Past or Simple Perfect

Simple Past	Present Perfect
yesterday	just (just now)
last week/month/year	recently
in 1990 (in the year 1990)	ever
two days ago (two days ago)	never
when I was young	already
in the past (in the past)	so far (so far)
ago (before)	since
then	for (since, for a period of time)
in my childhood	lately (lately)
the other day (recently)	in my life
in that moment	yet (still)
in 2010 (in the year 2010)	up to now (until now)
in the old days (in olden times)	over the years
at that time	several times

Example Sentences in the Simple Past and Past Perfect

Simple Past	Present Perfect
I saw her yesterday at the mall.	I have just finished my homework.
He completed the project last month.	They have recently moved to a new city.
She traveled to Paris two years ago.	Have you ever been to Asia?
They visited the museum when they were in London.	They have visited the museum when they were in London.

Practice Makes Perfect: How Regular Practice Improves Your Language Skills

As you can see, it's not that difficult to distinguish between the past perfect and the simple past. Simply pay attention to the signal words for each English tense and develop a feel for the language through plenty of practice.

The best exercise for you now is to write 10 sentences each in the simple past and the past perfect. This will solidify your knowledge and encourage active learning. For more effective English learning, you should also actively read English texts.

So grab a book, read it, and look for signal words that indicate either the simple past or the past perfect. We hope you enjoy learning!