Past Simple and Present Perfect

Past Simple

The Past Simple is used to focus on a single past event and when it happened. The listener always knows when that event happened, either from the context or because the speaker tells them.

Where did you go on holiday last year?

I went to Sharm El Sheik. (listener knows from context - last year)

I went to Hurghada a few weeks ago. (speaker specifically says when - a few weeks ago)

Present Perfect

The Present Perfect is used to focus on the result of a past event. It isn’t important ‘when’ that event happened so the listener doesn’t usually have this information.

I have bought a new car.

What is important is not ‘when’ you bought the car, but that you NOW own a new car.

Think about these two sentences:

1. W zeszły poniedziałek kupiłam nowy samochód.
2. Mam nowy samochód.

The second sentence shows the result of the first sentence. In Polish you have to either talk about the past event or the present situation, you can’t talk about both things at the same time. In English we use the Present Perfect to talk about the past and present at the same time.

I bought a new car last Monday. - Past Simple

W zeszły poniedziałek kupiłam nowy samochód.

I have a new car. - Present Simple

Mam nowy samochód.

I’ve bought a new car. - Present Perfect

Kupiłam nowy samochód (więc teraz mam nowy samochód).

We could simply say, ‘I have a new car,’ but this doesn’t tell us ‘how’ we got the car.

I have a new car.

I’ve bought a new car. / My father has given me a new car. / I’ve won a new car in a competition.