Do you know the difference between past simple and present perfect? One common challenge for English learners is understanding the difference between the present perfect and the past simple tenses. The past simple is used for actions that happened at a specific time in the past, like “I visited Paris last year.” In contrast, the present perfect is used for experiences or actions that happened at an unspecified time or that have relevance to the present, like “I have visited Paris.” The confusion often comes from how similar the sentences sound, but the subtle difference lies in whether the focus is on when it happened (past simple) or the result or experience (present perfect).