Present Simple vs. Past Simple
There are similarities and differences between past simple and present simple, which might cause confusion.
What Are Their Main Differences?
The main difference between past simple tense and present simple tense is in terms of time and usage. Past simple tense tends to talk about past events and actions. Present simple, however, talks about actions or states that are general or always true.
Time Reference
The Present Simple tense is used to describe actions, states, or habits that are general, habitual, or true in the present. It can also describe universal truths or facts that are always true. Past Simple tense, on the other hand, refers to actions, states, or events that happened and were completed in the past. This tense is used to talk about actions that are no longer ongoing, and the time of the action is often specified. Take a look at the examples below:
I
This is a general fact about the speaker's present situation.
I
This was true in the past but is no longer true.
They
This sentence refers to a repeated action.
They
The visit is completed in the past.
Usage
The 'present simple tense' is used to refer to routine actions or habits, general facts or truths, and timetables or schedules in the present time. Present simple tense, on the other hand, is used to talk about completed actions, actions that happened at a specific time, or a series of completed actions in the past. Here are some examples:
I
This is an action that is repeated regularly, so the present simple tense is used.
Water
This is a general and universal truth.
I
This is a completed action in the past, so the past simple tense in used.
He
Actions that happened at a specific time in the past are expressed using the past simple tense.
Signal Words
Signal words are used in sentences to indicate the relationship between ideas, including their relationship in terms of time. The present simple often goes with adverbs like always, usually, sometimes, never, every day, or on Mondays, as these words help indicate routine or regularity.
The past simple, on the other hand, often pairs with time expressions like yesterday, last year, in 2000, two days ago, or when I was a child, indicating specific times in the past.
I always
I
He often
He
Structures
The structure of the present simple tense involves using the base form of the verb, with an -s added to the third-person singular subjects (he, she, it). On the other hand, the structure of the past simple tense involves using the past form of the verb which is usually formed by adding '-ed' to the end of the base form of the verb. However, the past form does not change according to the subject. Look at some examples:
I
She
Present simple verbs take '-s' at the end when the subject is third person singular.
We
Past simple verbs are formed by adding '-ed' to the base form of the verb.
He
The past form of the verb does not change based on the subject.
Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs do not follow the regular pattern when forming different tenses. 'To be' and 'to have' are two irregular verbs in the present simple tense. Take a look at the table below to see their different forms in the present simple tense.
In the past simple tense, the situation is more complicated. There are many irregular verbs that do not follow the standard pattern of adding '-ed' to form the past tense. Instead, the past forms of these verbs are unique and must be memorized because they don’t follow a consistent rule. The table below shows some of the common irregular verbs in the past tense.
base form | past form |
---|---|
be | was/were |
have | had |
go | went |
eat | ate |
see | saw |
take | took |
I
(past form of "go")
He
(past form of "see")
They
(past form of "eat")
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