Estos dos tiempos se usan igual en Español de España (en Latinoamérica se usa poco el presente perfecto), pero aun así es dificil reconocer cual de los dos usar. Aquí veréis algunas pautas sencillas. Y desde aquí escribiré en inglés para que os vayáis acostumbrando...
Have + participle (_ed or 3rd column) = Haber + participio (_ado, _ido)
On the one hand, these two tenses can be easily translated to the variety of Spanish spoken in most of Spain. There, usage of Presente Perfecto is the same as Present Perfect in English. Both use have or haber plus a past participle (_ed or _do in Spanish, in the case of regular verbs), and they are used in quite the same situations.
Therefore, if you can recognise when you use haber before translating (he, has, ha, hemos, habéis, han), you can automatically translate them into have (I have, you have, he has, .... or I've, you've, he's when shortened). By doing this, you'll get it right most times. Unfortunately, this seems to be a problem for many learners, especially Latin Americans who seldom use perfect tenses in Spanish.
When to use Present Perfect or Past Simple.
Look at the following examples:
I've told you many times. - I told you last time we met.
We've come by train. - Yesterday, we came by train.
She's lived in India. - She lived in India in the 90s.
The examples on the left are sentences written in Present Perfect, and the ones on the right in Past Simple. The main difference is that Past Simple usually comes along a time adverb (in bold, negrita) answering the question "when?", whereas Present Perfect may have no time adverbs or time adverbs not answering the question "when?" (adverbs such as just, recently, ever, any time adverb answering to "how long for?" -for five minutes, three monts- and so on).
Think of a few sentences in Spanish to check that it works pretty much the same way. And now an exercise to practice.
_ _ _
Fill the gaps using the verb given in brackets in Present Perfect or Past Simple. Find the right answers in the comments:
He (have)_______________ an appointment with his doctor last week.
We (order, already)_______________ our meals, but they (come)_______________ with them yet.
I (be)_______________ to a few of their concerts.
I (go)_______________ to many of their concerts when I was younger.
She (invite)_______________ me to her place a couple of times, but I (have to)_______________ work then.
At the end, they (find out)_______________ that the steward was the murderer.
After the war (break out)_______________ , many people (leave)_______________ their homes and (flee)_______________ the country.
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ResponderEliminarAnswers:
EliminarHe had an appointment with his doctor last week.
We've already ordered our meals, but they haven't come with them yet.
I've been to a few of their concerts.
I went to many of their concerts when I was younger.
She's invited me to her place a couple of times, but I had to work then.
At the end, they found out that the steward was the murderer.
After the war broke out, many people left their homes and fleed the country.