Levels & career tracks
Curso básico · A1–A2
Nivel A1.1 — IdentidadNivel A1.2 — Rutinas y entornoNivel A2.1 — Contando el mundoNivel A2.2 — Comparando y proyectandoIntermedio · B1–B2
Level B1.1 — Connecting experiences Current levelLevel B1.2 — Narrating and describingLevel B2.1 — ArguingLevel B2.2 — NuanceProfesional / Avanzado · C1–C2
Level C1.1 — PrecisionLevel C1.2 — Register and discourseLevel C2.1 — StyleLevel C2.2 — Native masteryInglés técnico y especialización
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The key question: is the time finished, or still connected to now? Past simple is for a specific, finished time (yesterday, in 2019, an hour ago). Present perfect is for experiences without a specific time, or actions still relevant now.
Why this matters This lesson connects directly to your progress: it covers past simple: a specific, finished time; present perfect: connected to now; practicing the contrast. Mastering this content lets you move forward confidently, and reinforces patterns you'll use again later. Take time to review every example before moving to the assessment — repetition is what actually locks knowledge in long-term.
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The goals of this lesson.
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You already know the Present Perfect and the Past Simple separately. This lesson teaches you exactly when to use each one — a distinction that trips up most Spanish speakers.
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Use past simple when you mention or imply a specific time in the past — yesterday, last year, an hour ago, in 2019 — and that time period is over.
Examples
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Use present perfect when there's no specific time mentioned, when the time period is still open (this week, since 2010), or when the result is still relevant right now.
Examples
05
Compare each pair: notice how adding a specific time word shifts the sentence from present perfect to past simple.
Examples
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Read the text and answer the questions. You can try as many times as you want.
Carlos has traveled to twelve countries. Last year, he visited Japan for the first time, and he loved it. He has never been to Africa, but he says he'll go there someday. He has already planned his next trip — he's leaving for Peru next month.
Two years ago, Carlos lost his passport during a trip to Brazil. Since then, he has always kept a copy of his documents in a separate bag. He has learned a lot from his travels, and he has made friends all over the world.
1. How many countries has Carlos traveled to?
2. Where did Carlos go last year?
3. Has Carlos ever been to Africa?
4. Where did Carlos lose his passport?
5. What has Carlos always done since losing his passport?
💪 You're building real fluency now! Review this lesson if you need to, or keep moving forward to strengthen your English.
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Usa las pistas para completar cada palabra en inglés. Sin calificar — repite las veces que quieras.
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The essentials of this lesson, summarized.
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Key terms to remember.
went to see a place, at an unspecified time
visitadothe capital city of France
Parísdid a job, often for an employer
trabajadoperiods of twelve months
añosbefore now, or sooner than expected
yathe main evening meal
cena10
Tap the words in the correct order to form the sentence. Ungraded — repeat as many times as you like.
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Tap the correct verb form to complete each sentence. The other options are conjugations from other tenses — on purpose, so you learn to tell them apart.
We dinner an hour ago
I finish my homework yesterday
I've my keys — I can't find them anywhere
We have each other for ten years
We have already dinner
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Listen to the full dialogue with the speaker buttons first, then fill in the missing words from this lesson's real conversation. Ungraded — repeat as many times as you like.
Have you the
Yes, I it this
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You need at least 80% to unlock the next lesson. You can retake it as many times as you want — your best score is saved.
1. Which option matches: "He has lived in Quito since 2010."?
2. What does this mean: "I haven't finished my homework yet."?
3. "We met each other ten years ago." — which one is correct?
4. What does this mean: "I've lost my keys — I can't find them anywhere."?
5. Which option matches: "Yesterday, I saw a great movie."?
6. "This is the best movie I have ever seen." — which one is correct?
7. Select the correct match for: "Have you ever been to London?"
8. What does this mean: "She has worked here for two years."?
9. "He lived in Quito from 2010 to 2015." — which one is correct?
10. Which option matches: "I lost my keys last week, but I found them the next day."?
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You now know when to use Present Perfect versus Past Simple. Next lesson: the Past Continuous, for actions in progress at a specific moment.
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Practice this lesson's vocabulary with a word search and flashcards. Ungraded — play as many times as you like.
Tap the first and last letter of a hidden word to find it. Los términos de varias palabras van sin espacios en el tablero (ej. "give up" aparece como GIVEUP).
Elige la respuesta correcta. Si aciertas, la tarjeta queda lista por hoy; si fallas, vuelve a aparecer pronto para reforzarla. Tu progreso se guarda en este dispositivo.