Note that short forms are not used in positive short answers.
We use the present perfect to talk about past actions or events when time is not mentioned, i.e. we don’t say when these events happened.
We often use the present perfect with just, already and yet. We can use just after the verb have to emphasise that these events are very recent.
We use already in positive sentences to talk about actions that we have completed sooner than we expected. Already goes after the verb have.
We use yet in negative sentences and questions to talk about things that we expect to happen soon. Yet goes at the end of the sentence.
We often use the present perfect with recently to talk about past recent actions.
We can use the present perfect with time expressions when the time we mention has not finished.
We use the present perfect to talk about past experiences when we don’t say or we don’t know when something happened.
We often use the words never, ever, or before to talk about experiences.
We can use the present perfect simple with a superlative adjective and ever.
We can also use the present perfect to say how many times something has happened until now.
We say someone has gone somewhere when this person is still away, and we say someone has been somewhere when this person has already come back from that place.
We can use the present perfect with for, since and how long to ask or talk about situations that started in the past and have not finished.
We use for + period of time (two hours, three days, ten years, etc.), and we use since + the moment in the past when something started.
We can also use the present perfect with lately or with all + period of time (all day, all morning, all my life, etc.) to talk about actions that started in the past and continue in the present.
We can’t use ago with the present perfect.
We use the present perfect (NOT past simple) to talk about past experiences and actions when we don’t say or don’t know when they happened.
We use the past simple (NOT present perfect) when we mention or ask about when something happened or when the time is known by the speaker and the listener. We often use a past expression (last week, yesterday, when I was a child, etc.)
We use the present perfect to introduce a past event or experience, but if we continue talking and we give details, then we use the past simple.
A: I ‘ve been to the cinema.
B: What did you see ?
A: I saw a very good film by…
A: Oh, you ‘ve broken your arm.
B: Yes, I have .
A: How did it happen ?
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