Simple Past or Present Perfect?
FORM: verb+ed
Simple Past
Actions that began and ended in the past.
When we use the simple past, the time period is usually specified (or at least understood by both the speaker and listener).
We often used the simple past tense with ago to show when the past condition started.
- I played a lot of baseball when I was in high school.
- I was crazy about cartoons when I was a child.
- I loved traveling in Greece last year.
- I moved there ten years ago.
FORM: has / have + past participle
Present Perfect
An activity that occurred at a unspecified time in the past: the speaker does not say when the action happened.
Things that have never happened at any time before.
- I have visited Kuwait.
- I have eaten curry many times since I came to India.
- I haven’t seen the new Tom Cruise movie yet.
- I have never failed a test before.