English · Chapter 3 · Lesson 14 · Grammar primer
The present perfect
How English links the past to now - 'have' or 'has' plus a past participle, for things that have happened by this moment.
The short version
Say when it happened and you need the past simple
The present perfect is for time that is unfinished or unstated and connects to now. Words like yesterday, last week, in 2015 and two days ago pin the action to finished time, and they force the past simple. The test is one line long: if you say exactly when, use the past simple.
I saw her yesterday.
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