English Language Lab

English Language Lab

Grammar Boost: Present Perfect vs. Past Simple

Mind the Gap! The British Way with Recent Events

Rachel Boyce's avatar
Rachel Boyce
Jun 05, 2025
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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.

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