Grammar Boost: Present Perfect vs. Past Simple

Mind the Gap! The British Way with Recent Events

We've talked about saying sorry, the art of queuing, and even what it means for something to be "not my cup of tea." Today, we're going to explore a very British nuance in grammar – one that often catches learners by surprise!

My colleague, the wonderfully British business English gentleman you heard about yesterday on BizPod, has just been to a conference in London. Notice how I said "has just been"? Or perhaps you've heard a British person say, "I've just had lunch" instead of "I just had lunch." If you're wondering what the difference is, you've come to the right place!

The British Preference: Present Perfect for Recent Actions

In British English, we often prefer to use the Present Perfect (have/has + past participle) when talking about actions that happened very recently and have a connection to the present moment, even if we don't specify the exact time.