What is the difference between the present perfect and the simple past?

Both the simple past and the present perfect are verb tenses that are used to refer to past actions, but there are some differences in their use:

  • The present perfect describes an action that happened in the past and has present effects or that began in the past and might continue (e.g., “I have seen that movie three times”).
  • The simple past typically describes an action that happened at a specific time in the past and won’t continue (e.g., “I ate a waffle for breakfast”).