FURTHER MISTAKES

Pronunciation of "steak" (All levels):

It is not pronounced /stik/ but /stéik/


Past Simple vs. Present Perfect (In theory, Intermediate. In fact, All levels!):

In Spanish, the difference in use between the past simple and the present perfect is simply that the past simple is used for a "distant past" and the present perfect for a "recent past" (according to most Spanish students!).

In English the differences are stricter. In case of use of a specific past time reference,

e.g. "This morning", "an hour ago", "in 1984", "yesterday"

we must use the past simple!

e.g. "I had coffee for breakfast this morning"  

Not

"I've had coffee for breakfast this morning."

Exception! With since and for we use the present perfect with specific past time references! Why? because they indicate a period of time that goes upto the present!

e.g. "I've had coffee at Gino's since 2004" or "I've had coffee at Gino's for the last 8 years:" Meaning: I had coffee at gino's in 2004/ 8 years ago and continuously thereafter (repeatedly until the present!). Therefore I still have coffee at Gino's nowadays!

If we make a reference to the past without a specific past time reference we generally use the present perfect!

e.g. "I've been in England twice." So, for example, I went to England in 1994 and 2005 and, as I am still alive the possibility of going back exists! Therefore, we are referring to finished actions in the past with no specific past time reference but with the possibility of repetition in the present or future.

 For more in depth information and exercises watch this short video and visit the following websites:

Explanation:

http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/ppvpast.htm


Exercises:

http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/ppvpast1.htm