read · 3 min
The present perfect (have/has + past participle) is the tense that links the past to the present. English learners often reach for the past simple instead — here’s when each one wins.
Experience — ever, never
For things that happened at some unspecified time in your life:
I have visited Japan. · Have you ever eaten sushi?
Recent news with a present result
The action is past, but the result matters now:
I’ve lost my keys. (so I can’t get in now)
Unfinished time — today, this week
She has written three emails today. (today isn’t over)
The key contrast
Use the past simple with a finished time word (yesterday, in 2019, last week):
✓ I saw her yesterday. (not “have seen her yesterday”)
Try it in the Verb Lab.