Past Simple vs Past Continuous

We use Past Simple for:

a. a single completed action
b. a habit or routine (a repeated action) in the past
c. a state in the past

We use Past Continuous for:

a. a longer action in the past
b. actions that were in progress when a shorter action happened

For more info click here
For practise, click here and here

            

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Time expressions: perfect tenses

For and since

- We use for with a period of time (from the moment it started until now): They have been together for 23 years
- We use since with a point in time (the exact moment when something happened): They have been together since 1978

Been and gone

- Go has 2 past participles: been and gone.
                     We use been to mean 'go and come back': I have just been to the city centre
                     We use gone to mean 'go, but not back yet': She has just gone to the ciy centre

Adverbs and time phrases

- We use just to say something happened a short time ago. We don't use just  in negative sentences:
              We've just come back from the airport has happened

- We use yet to indicate that something hasn't happened
              I haven't finished it yet!

- We use already to say something happened sooner than expected:
            Mary has already arrived home.

More information here and here
More practice here

Present perfect simple vs Present simple continuous

Remember that the Present Perfect Simple is a tense that refers to the PRESENT NOT TO THE PAST. It is used to describe an action that started in the past but that has an influence over the present

- We usually use the Present Perfect Simple to talk about a state that started in the past and continues in the present. We usually use the PPS to say how many things are finished.
                             They've been  married since 1972.
                             They've publised 390 books since the company began

- We usually use the Present Perfect Continuous to talk about an activity that started in the past and continues in the present (we focus in the process). We usually use the PPC to say how long an activity has been happening.
                            They have been publishing guidebooks for 30 years.


Here you have some links if you need more information:
http://www.aulafacil.com/Ingejerc/Lecciones/Lecc21.htm
http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/averroes/~14700596/departamentos/present_perf.htm

Now... It's time to practise!!

http://www.autoenglish.org/gr.percon.i.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs7.htm
http://a4esl.org/q/f/z/zz28bka.htm