Simple Past Tense vs Present Perfect Tense

 (Remember that British and American English have different rules for the use of the present perfect. The comments and the exercises here refer to correct grammar for British English. In American English, it is often considered acceptable to use the past simple in some of these examples.) 

(Mbani mend se anglishtja britanike dhe ajo amerikane kanë rregulla të ndryshme të përdorimit të së kryerës. Shpjegimet dhe ushtrimet këtu referohen në gramatikën e saktë të anglishtes britanike. Në anglishten amerikane, përdorimi i të kryerës shpesh është i pranueshëm si disa prej këtyre shembujve.) 

 

• The past simple is used to talk about actions in the past that have finished. It talks about ‘then’ and definitely excludes ‘now’. 

“Past Simple” (e kryera e thjeshtë) përdoret për të folur për veprime që kanë ndodhur në të shkuarën dhe kanë përfunduar. Ajo flet për ‘më parë’ dhe e përjashton të tashmen. 

 

• The present perfect simple is used to look back on actions in the past from the present. It always includes ‘now’. 

“Present Perfect” (e kryera) përdoret për të parë pas në veprimet e së shkuarës, nga e tashmja. Ajo përfshin gjithmonë të tashmen. 

 

• These sentences are in the past with no connection to the present. 

Këto fjali janë në të shkuarën pa patur lidhje me të tashmen. 

• I first got to know him 10 years ago. 

• I started work here in 1989. 

• I had too much to eat at lunchtime. 

 

• Now look at these same situations seen from the present. 

Tani shikoni këto situata të njëjta, por të para nga e tashmja. 

• I’ve known him for 10 years. 

• I’ve worked here since 1987. 

• My stomach hurts. I’ve eaten too much. 

 

 

• We use time expressions like ‘yesterday’, ‘ago’, ‘last year’, ‘in 1999’ with the past simple.  

Përdorim shprehje kohore si ‘yesterday’, ‘ago’, ‘last year’, ‘in 1999’ me kohën e kryer të thjeshtë. 

• We spoke to him yesterday. 

• He came in a few moments ago. 

• We made our last purchase from them over a year ago. 

• She joined the company in 1999. 

 

• We use time expressions like ‘ever’, ‘never’, ‘since’ with the present perfect. 

Përdorim shprehje kohore si ‘ever’, ‘never’, ‘since’ me të kryerën. 

• I’ve never seen so many people here before. 

• Have you ever been more surprised? 

• I’ve done a lot since we last talked about it.  

 

• Typical time expressions used with the present perfect in British English but often used with the past simple in American English are ‘already’, ‘just’, ‘yet’. 

Shprehje kohore tipike të përdorura me “Present Perfect” në anglishten britanike por shpesh të përdorura me “Past Simple” në anglishten amerikane janë ‘already’, ‘just’, ‘yet’. 

• I haven’t done it yet. (UK)  

• I didn’t do it yet. (US)  

• I’ve just done it. (UK)  

• I just did it. (US) 

• I’ve already done it. (UK)  

• I already did it. (US) 

 

• We can use the time phrase ‘for’ with both forms, but with different meanings. 

Ne mund të përdorim frazën kohore ‘for’ me të dyja format, por me kuptime të ndryshme. 

• I lived in Paris for a couple of years before I moved here.  

• I’ve lived in Paris for a couple of years and still love it.