I've read this article before. I swear I've read this article before.
Hi, James, david.com. I'm just looking at this article and I'm trying to think, "Have
I read this before?" And then I thought, "Yes, I read it yesterday." What's the difference?
Let's take a look. Let's go to the board. So, I said, "I read the article." And then
I said, "I've," that is, "I have read the article." Now, if you look there, I've written
two things on the board. Number one, I read the article. Number two, I've read the article.
But you're probably saying to yourself, "So what?" Well, one, well, actually, when we
look at it, the past and the present perfect, which is what I've read on the board, can
have different meanings. Sometimes they mean the exact same. In this case, there's not
really much of a difference. I've read the article. I've read the article. But sometimes
we can use them to demonstrate two things that I want to point out to you today. So
let's go to the board and take a look. Let's start with, "I read the article." Now, I kind
of made a mistake. Because I should have done when I put this, "I read the article yesterday."
Okay? "I read the article yesterday" gives you a specific time. And that's one of the
uses of the simple past. When we talk or use the simple past, we actually have two uses
for it. Number one is to tell you something at a specific time. Or number two, to tell
you that you've completed something. Okay? Now, when we use the present perfect, it also
has a couple of jobs. So let's make a change or two to the board. Okay? So I'm going to
take "I" and I'm going to make it "I've." Okay? "I've" or "I have." That's the contraction.
Now, here's the problem. I can't say, "I've read the article yesterday." That doesn't
make any sense. Not in the present perfect sense. So, first of all, we have to get rid
of this. And we have to get rid of this. By saying, "I've read the article," we're using
the present perfect tense. Now, let's go back. What is the present perfect? Well, the present
perfect is something in the past has an effect on something now. Right? Something here in
the past has an effect on something here in the present. Okay? So, what does this mean
for us? Well, I've read the article. Well, I'm saying somewhere here, I read it, but
I'm telling you about it now. I'm not giving you a specific time. And a lot of times when
we do this, we're saying something happened in the past, but it has an effect now. We're
not giving a specific time. We're just letting you know it's occurred. Okay? So, the difference
between the two is, if I say, "I read in the past," simple past. I was going to write pimple
past. Sorry. Simple past. I have to be specific. So, we can use the S and the S to remind me
if I want to talk about the simple past, I should be specific. I read the book yesterday.
I saw the man two hours ago. I ate dinner at five o'clock. Okay? Now, when we use the
present perfect, we just want to say something happened in the past, but we don't have to
give a specific time. It's going to lead to two simple rules I'm going to put up. Good.
So, we've got that up on the board. I'm sure you got that right. But let's make it simple.
This is way too complicated. This is not math. Alright? So, here we go. Let's not make it
like math. Because today's lesson was basically, what was it? Well, why do we use either the
present perfect or versus, if you're a soccer fan like me, simple past. Now, I gave you
all that big verbiage or a lot of words explaining why. I'm going to make it simple, real simple.
You won't forget. Promise. Present perfect, we can say for how long. That's it. How long.
Or, how many times. Simple past, specifically, when. See, I use that word specific, specific.
Remember? S, simple, specific. Sorry, just a joke, small joke. Okay, but specific time,
when, because when you need a time. Two o'clock, three o'clock, one, yesterday, six months
from now. Okay? So, we use that for the simple past. But if we want to talk about how long
we've done something, or how many times, and we're not being specific, then use the present
perfect. Cool? Thought you'd like that. Anyway, now you know why you use them. Now you'll
know when to use them, and you'll also know something else, because I want you to come
back to this very special place, so we're going to have this very special time, but
maybe not here, but you'll come to, try this, w, w, w dot, ing as in English, vid as in
video, and dot com. Okay? And, I'll see you there. Okay? Don't forget. Simple past is
what? What do we use it for? Yeah? Present perfect what? There. Now you know more than
all the English people in the world. I'm joking. Anyway, see you at ingvic.com. Ciao.