Mr. Brown: Okay everyone, that’s the end of the explanation about the present perfect and the past simple.
Laura: Excuse me, Mr. Brown, could I ask you something about that, please?

Mr. Brown: Of course, Laura, go ahead, what would you like to ask?
Laura: I’m still a bit confused about when to use the present perfect and when to use the past simple.

Mr. Brown: No problem, it’s a very common question, which part is not clear for you?
Laura: I don’t really understand the difference between “I have visited London” and “I visited London.”

Mr. Brown: Alright, let me explain it again more slowly.
Mr. Brown: We usually use the present perfect to talk about experiences without saying exactly when they happened.

Laura: So when I say “I have visited London,” I’m talking about my experience in general, right?
Mr. Brown: Exactly, you are saying that at some time in your life, that experience is part of you now.

Laura: And with the past simple, like “I visited London,” what is the focus?
Mr. Brown: With the past simple, the focus is on a finished action at a specific time in the past.

Laura: Could you give me another example, please?
Mr. Brown: Sure, for example, “I have seen that movie” is experience, and “I saw that movie last night” is a specific time.

Laura: Ah, I see, so if I say the time, I should use the past simple.
Mr. Brown: Yes, that’s a very good rule, if you mention “yesterday,” “last year,” or a date, use the past simple.

Laura: What about this sentence, is it correct to say “I have finished my homework yesterday”?
Mr. Brown: That one is not correct, you should say “I finished my homework yesterday” because you have “yesterday.”

Laura: Okay, I understand that part better now, thank you.
Laura: But sometimes native speakers say “I’ve just finished my homework,” why is that present perfect?

Mr. Brown: Great question, in that case we use the present perfect because the action is very recent.
Mr. Brown: “I’ve just finished” means you completed it a short time ago and it is still important now.

Laura: So, if I’m still thinking about the result, I can use the present perfect.
Mr. Brown: Yes, exactly, the present result or effect is important with the present perfect.

Laura: Can I try a few sentences to check if I’ve understood?
Mr. Brown: Of course, please go ahead, and I’ll tell you if they are correct.

Laura: Okay, first sentence, “I have been to Paris three times.”
Mr. Brown: That’s perfect, you’re talking about your experience in your life, with no specific dates.

Laura: Second sentence, “I went to Paris in 2019.”
Mr. Brown: Also correct, here you give a clear time in the past, so you use the past simple.

Laura: Third sentence, “I have finished the book last week.”
Mr. Brown: Careful, that one should be “I finished the book last week” because of “last week.”

Laura: Right, I see my mistake, I used the present perfect with a past time expression.
Mr. Brown: Exactly, but it’s good that you tried, making mistakes is part of learning.

Laura: Could you give me one more example that students often say incorrectly?
Mr. Brown: Sure, many students say “I have seen that film two days ago,” but it should be “I saw that film two days ago.”

Laura: So if I remove “two days ago,” I can say “I’ve seen that film,” and that’s okay.
Mr. Brown: Yes, very good, then you are just talking about the experience, not about the exact time.

Laura: Thank you, Mr. Brown, this explanation and the examples really help.
Mr. Brown: You’re welcome, Laura, I’m glad it’s clearer now.

Laura: Just to check, can I repeat the rule in my own words?
Mr. Brown: That’s an excellent idea, go ahead and I’ll tell you if it’s correct.

Laura: We use the present perfect for life experiences and recent actions when the result is important now, without a specific time.
Laura: And we use the past simple for finished actions at a clear time in the past, like yesterday or in 2019.

Mr. Brown: That’s a very good summary, you’ve understood the main idea very well.
Laura: Great, I feel much more confident now, thank you for explaining it again so patiently.

Mr. Brown: Any time, Laura, and remember, if something is not clear, you can always ask me after class.
Laura: I will, thanks again, I’ll practice with more examples in my notebook later.

En el diálogo aparece vocabulario muy típico de una clase de inglés centrada en la gramática.
Se mencionan tiempos verbales: present perfect, past simple, finished action, specific time, recent action, life experience, present result. Son palabras que conviene saber decir en inglés porque te ayudan a hablar sobre la propia lengua.
Aparecen también expresiones de ejemplo: “I have visited London”, “I visited London”, “I’ve just finished my homework”, “I have seen that movie”, “I saw that movie last night”. Este tipo de frases modelo son ideales para memorizar estructuras.
Se usan señales de tiempo muy importantes en la regla: yesterday, last night, last week, last year, two days ago, in 2019. La idea clave que repite el profesor es: si hay un tiempo pasado concreto, va el past simple.

El diálogo está lleno de fórmulas muy útiles para hablar con un profesor de forma educada.
Para pedir la palabra: “Excuse me, Mr. Brown, could I ask you something about that, please?”. Aquí se combinan Excuse me (para interrumpir con respeto) y el modal could que suaviza la petición.
Para decir que no entiendes bien: “I’m still a bit confused about…”, “I don’t really understand the difference between…”, “Which part is not clear for you?”. Estas frases son perfectas para reconocer la duda sin vergüenza.
Para pedir que repitan o expliquen otra vez: “Could you give me another example, please?”, “Let me explain it again more slowly.”. Fíjate en el uso constante de please y again para sonar respetuoso y concreto.
Para comprobar que has entendido: “So when I say… I’m talking about… right?”, “So if I say the time, I should use the past simple.”, “Can I try a few sentences to check if I’ve understood?”, “Just to check, can I repeat the rule in my own words?”. Esta última es una estrategia excelente de aprendizaje: reformular la regla con tus propias palabras.

La explicación del profesor resume muy bien la diferencia entre present perfect y past simple:
Usamos present perfect para:
– life experiences: “I have visited London”, “I have been to Paris three times”. No importa cuándo exactamente; la experiencia forma parte de tu vida.
– recent actions con resultado presente: “I’ve just finished my homework”, “I’ve finished the book” (si el resultado importa ahora).
Usamos past simple para acciones terminadas en un tiempo definido:
– “I visited London in 2019”, “I saw that movie last night”, “I finished my homework yesterday”, “I saw that film two days ago”.
El profesor refuerza una regla práctica muy útil: si aparece una expresión de tiempo pasado concreto (yesterday, last week, two days ago, in 2019), no va el present perfect, va el past simple.

También se ven estructuras típicas de aula:
Modales de cortesía: could I ask, could you give me, I’ll tell you if they are correct.
Uso de presente simple para reglas generales: “We usually use the present perfect to talk about experiences”, “We use the past simple for finished actions”.
Uso de it’s okay to para permiso y ánimo: “It’s okay to make mistakes, they’re part of the learning process.”. Esta estructura es muy común y muy útil: It’s okay to + verbo.

En el diálogo se nota una actitud muy anglosajona hacia la clase de idiomas.
El profesor insiste en que es normal no entender a la primera: “No problem, it’s a very common question.”, “Making mistakes is part of learning.”. En muchos contextos hispanohablantes se siente más vergüenza por preguntar o equivocarse; aquí se ve como algo positivo.
La alumna hace muchas preguntas y el profesor lo valora: “Great question…”, “That’s an excellent idea…”, “That’s a very good summary.”. Preguntar y comprobar la comprensión se interpreta como señal de interés, no de falta de capacidad.
También es muy típica la forma de reformular la regla al final: el profesor anima a Laura a decirla en sus propias palabras. En entornos anglófonos esto se usa mucho para confirmar comprensión real, no solo repetición de memoria.

Primero, prepara algunas frases de aula que puedas usar siempre, aunque estés nervioso. Por ejemplo:
“Excuse me, could you explain that again, please?”
“I’m still a bit confused about this part.”
“Could you give me another example?”
“So, if I say…, is it correct?”
Con solo estas frases ya puedes gestionar muchas dudas sin quedarte bloqueado.

Segundo, practica la técnica de repetir la regla con tus propias palabras, como hace Laura. Por ejemplo:
“So, we use the present perfect for life experiences and recent actions, and the past simple for finished actions at a specific time. Is that right?”
De este modo el profesor puede corregirte la idea, no solo la gramática.

Tercero, acepta la idea de “it’s okay to make mistakes”. En lugar de callarte cuando no entiendas, intenta decir algo como:
“I think I understand, but I’m not completely sure.”
“Can I try some examples?”
Esto muestra que estás implicado y te da práctica extra.

Por último, recuerda la mini-regla que aparece en el diálogo y úsala mentalmente en clase:
Si dices yesterday, last night, last week, two days ago, in 2019, usa past simple (I went, I saw, I finished).
Si hablas de experiencia general o de algo muy reciente con resultado ahora, sin decir cuándo, usa present perfect (I’ve been, I’ve seen, I’ve just finished).

En situaciones de aclarar dudas con el profesor te conviene dominar:
Un pequeño repertorio de frases de cortesía como “Excuse me, could I ask you something?”, “Could you explain that again, please?”, “Can I check if I’ve understood?”.
La costumbre de pedir ejemplos y de ofrecer tus propios ejemplos para que te los corrijan, como hace Laura.
La valentía de repetir la regla con tus palabras en inglés, aunque no sea perfecto; eso acelera muchísimo tu aprendizaje.