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Part 1 ยท Episode 21 A2-B1

I’ve Done It vs I Did It

๐Ÿ“ Present Perfect vs Past Simple

Various inventors ยท Comparing achievements ๐Ÿ“– 4 min read

Episode 21: I’ve Done It vs I Did It

Present Perfect vs Past Simple โ€” Various Inventors, 1893 (A2-B1)

Grammar Box

Meaning: Past Simple talks about finished moments with specific time. Present Perfect connects past to now, focusing on experience or result, not when.

Form: Past Simple: verb+ed or irregular | Present Perfect: have/has + past participle

Example 1: I visited Paris in 2020. (specific time = Past Simple)

Example 2: I’ve visited Paris three times. (life experience = Present Perfect)

Common mistake: Wrong: I have seen him yesterday. Better: I saw him yesterday.

The Question

Luna closes her notebook and smiles. “I did my homework!” she says proudly. Then she pauses. “Wait. Or should I say ‘I’ve done my homework’? What’s the difference?” The watch glows softly. Professor Wisdom appears with a twinkle in his eye. “Ah, two ways to talk about the past. Let’s see them in action.”

The Journey

The light fades. Luna stands in an enormous hall. Electric lights shine everywhere. Machines hum and click. People in formal clothes walk past huge displays. “Where are we?” Luna whispers.

“Chicago, 1893,” the Professor says. “The World’s Fair. The greatest inventors of the age are here.”

A tall man with white hair stands near a giant light display. Thomas Edison. He’s talking to visitors. “I invented the phonograph in 1877,” he tells them. “But I’ve invented many things in my life.” His voice is confident but tired.

Edison had worked for decades without rest. He had failed thousands of times. Critics had called him a fool. But he never stopped. Each invention built on the last. Some changed daily life forever. The light bulb. The movie camera. The phonograph. Before Edison, evenings were dark and silent. After him, the world glowed and sang.

Nearby, another man adjusts a telephone display. Alexander Graham Bell. His eyes are kind behind round glasses. “I made the first telephone call in 1876,” he explains to a curious crowd. “Since then, I’ve worked on many communication inventions.”

The air smells of oil, metal, and excitement. Luna hears gears turning, bells ringing, crowds murmuring. She feels the buzz of progress. These men didn’t just create machines. They created the future.

“Look at how they speak,” Professor Wisdom says softly. “Edison said ‘I invented the phonograph in 1877.’ A specific moment. Bell said ‘I’ve worked on many inventions.’ Still continuing. Do you feel the difference?”

Luna nods slowly. “One is finished. One is… still connected to now?”

“Exactly.”

The Insight

“Past Simple tells us about a finished moment,” the Professor explains. “You mention when it happened. I invented it in 1877. I made the call in 1876. The time is clear and closed.”

“Present Perfect connects the past to now. I’ve invented many things. The exact time doesn’t matter. What matters is the experience, the result, the connection to the present moment.”

“Think of it this way. Past Simple is a photograph. One moment, frozen. Present Perfect is a bridge. It connects then and now.”

Practice Zone

More Examples:

  1. “I learned English in school.” โ€” Finished period, specific time.
  2. “I’ve learned a lot this year.” โ€” Experience continuing to now.
  3. “She wrote three books in 2020.” โ€” Specific past year.
  4. “She’s written five books in her career.” โ€” Life experience, ongoing.
  5. “We visited Paris last summer.” โ€” Definite past time.
  6. “We’ve visited Paris three times.” โ€” Experience, time not specified.

Exercises:

  1. Fill in the blank: Thomas Edison ___ (invent) the light bulb in 1879. (Past Simple โ€” specific year)

  2. Choose the correct:
    a) I’ve seen that movie yesterday.
    b) I saw that movie yesterday.

  3. Match:
    – “I lived in Tokyo in 2015.” โ†’ Finished time period
    – “I’ve lived here for five years.” โ†’ Still true now

  4. Complete: Marie Curie ___ (discover) radium in 1898, but she ___ (do) many important experiments in her lifetime.

  5. Your turn: Write two sentences about your life. One with Past Simple (specific time). One with Present Perfect (experience or result).

Answer Key:

  1. invented
  2. b) I saw that movie yesterday. (Yesterday = specific time = Past Simple)
  3. First is finished (Past Simple). Second connects to now (Present Perfect).
  4. discovered / has done (or did)
  5. Check: Does your Past Simple sentence include when? Does your Present Perfect show experience or result?

The Lesson

Luna returns home. She opens her notebook again. “I finished my homework at 6 PM,” she writes. Then: “I’ve learned something important today.” Two sentences. Two meanings. One about a moment. One about growth. Both true. Both beautiful.