Simple Past VS Present Perfect

Afirmative

Subject + Auxiliary + Verb in the past participle

Negative

Subject + verb auxiliary + past participle

Interrogative

Verb auxiliary + subject + past participle

The perfect present for actions that occurred in a non-specific time heretofore used. The specific time is not important. Therefore, we do not usually use with the present perfect expressions of specific time ("this morning", "yesterday", "last year" ...).

You can use the present perfect with no specific time expressions ("never", "ever", "many times", "for", "since", "already", "yet" ...). This concept of no specific time is quite difficult to understand, for this reason, then you have particular uses of the present perfect.

Afirmative

I've talked to Peter. (He hablado con Peter.)

Negative

She hasn't gone to work. (No ha ido a su trabajo.)

Interrogative

Have you talked to Peter? (¿Has hablado con Peter?)

Afirmative

Subject+ Verb in past + complement

Pronoun +Wasn't/Weren't +complement

Negative

Pronoun +Didn't +Verb + complement

Subtema

Pronoun+Wasn't/Weren't+complement

Interrogative

did + subject + verb in present + complement + ?

WAS/WERE+pronoun+complement+?

The simple past is used to talk about a specific action that began and ended in the past. In this case equals the Spanish preterite.

Generally, we use with adverbs of time as "last year", "yesterday", "last night" ...

Afirmative

She was a doctor.

Negative

She wasn't a doctor.

I didn't want to dance.

Interrogative

Was she a doctor?

Did you want to dance?