“We have completed the security review” and “We completed the security review on Tuesday” describe the same action. Yet they do not answer the same question. The first puts forward a result available now: the review is finished and the team can move on. The second places the event in a finished period: on Tuesday, the review was completed.
In a progress update, this nuance avoids two common problems. First, a listener may think a piece of information is still in progress when it belongs to the history. Second, they may miss the current consequence of work already done. Choosing between the present perfect and the past simple is therefore not about decorating your grammar: it is about giving information its right value.
The deciding question is not “how do I translate my own past tense?” It is: “what do I want to make prominent for the decision that follows?”
CEFR Level and Skills Practised
The CEFR does not assign a verb tense to a level in isolation. It describes what the language user can do. The B1–B2 goal used here therefore corresponds to a task: communicating the status of a project, reporting past facts and answering requests for clarification.
At B1, learners can present a series of points on a familiar professional subject, report simple factual information and take part in a routine formal discussion if the language is clearly articulated. In our task, that means giving three reliable pieces of information: what is finished, what happened on a specific date and what remains to be done.
At B2, learners can develop a clear presentation, highlight important points, support their statements with detail and take an active part in a formal discussion. In our task, they must also prioritise results, explain the current impact of a past event, answer questions and correct an ambiguity.
Observable skills
- Listening: distinguish a result that is still relevant from a closed event in a project update.
- Speaking: present three advances, one dated incident and one next step in 60 to 90 seconds.
- Spoken interaction: answer “When did it happen?”, “What has changed?” and “What did you decide?” without mixing an open period and a finished one.
- Writing: write a short structured status update with consistent time markers.
- Mediation: turn technical notes into a progress report a manager or client can understand.
- Pronunciation: make contractions with have/has and regular past-tense endings audible.
- Final success criterion: in a meeting simulation, at least 8 appropriate tense choices out of 10, no pairing of the present perfect with an explicit finished date and a message understood without a major request to rephrase.
The Working Rule in Three Questions
Before speaking, run through three mental filters. They take a few seconds and are enough in most project updates.
1. Does the result matter now?
Use the present perfect — have/has + past participle — when the past action produces a state that is relevant at the moment you speak.
- We have completed the security review. — The review is finished; deployment can move on to the next step.
- The client has approved the new scope. — Approval is in place; the current scope is validated.
- We haven’t received the final figures yet. — The absence of the figures blocks or influences the current situation.
The present perfect often answers “Where are we now?”. The words already, yet, just, so far and recently often signal this perspective, but they do not replace reasoning.
2. Is the period or date finished?
Use the past simple — base verb + -ed for a regular verb, an irregular form otherwise — when you place an event in a finished moment.
- We completed the security review on Tuesday. — The action is tied to Tuesday.
- The supplier missed the deadline last week. — The period “last week” is finished.
- We chose option B during the steering committee. — The decision belongs to a specific, finished meeting.
The past simple often answers “What happened, and when?”. The markers yesterday, last week, in September, on Monday and during the workshop create a closed time frame.
3. Are you talking about useful experience or a dated episode?
Experience up to today generally calls for the present perfect. An episode placed in the past calls for the past simple.
- I have worked with this supplier before. — My past experience is relevant to the present decision.
- I worked with this supplier in 2024. — I place a collaboration in a specific period.
- Have you ever managed a migration like this? — I am checking the experience available to date.
- Did you manage the 2024 migration? — I am asking whether a specific event took place.
The Manager’s Mental Table
| Situation | Tense | Underlying question | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | — |
| Result available now | Present perfect | What is the current state? | We have fixed the payment issue. |
| Unfinished action or relevant absence | Present perfect | What is still missing? | We haven’t received legal approval yet. |
| Period still open | Present perfect | What have we achieved so far? | We have closed twelve tickets this week. |
| Finished date or period | Past simple | When did it happen? | We closed twelve tickets last week. |
| Sequence of finished events | Past simple | What happened next? | We tested the patch, found a conflict and rolled it back. |
| Useful experience with no precise date | Present perfect | Have we met this before? | We have handled a similar outage before. |
| Located, finished experience | Past simple | Which episode are we talking about? | We handled a similar outage in May. |
Four Contrasts That Change a Progress Update
1. Project still open or phase closed
We have identified three critical risks this quarter. Here, the quarter is still running: the total may change. We identified three critical risks in Q3. Here, Q3 is over: the figure belongs to a closed period.
Management consequence: the first sentence invites you to watch how things develop; the second documents history.
2. Result or story
We have updated the forecast. The new forecast is available now. We updated the forecast after the client meeting. The sentence tells when and in what sequence the action took place.
Management consequence: if your listener must use the new forecast, start with the result. If they must understand the chain of events, give the dated account.
3. Current blockage or finished incident
The vendor hasn’t sent the certificate yet. The document is still missing. The vendor didn’t send the certificate yesterday. A fact about yesterday is reported; the sentence alone does not say whether the certificate has arrived since.
Management consequence: to escalate a current blockage, the present perfect avoids reducing the problem to a simple past episode.
4. Usable experience or past assignment
Sara has led several international roll-outs. Her experience is an asset available to the team. Sara led the German roll-out in 2025. A specific assignment is identified.
Management consequence: the first statement justifies a choice of resource; the second provides dated proof.
The “Missing Date” Trap
A school rule sometimes says: “no date, so present perfect”. It is too simplistic. A speaker may consider an event finished even without giving the date: We chose option B. Conversely, a time marker can be compatible with the present perfect if the period is still open: We have received five applications today.
The decision depends on the speaker’s mental frame. Today can be open at 11 a.m., but finished if you are speaking the next day. This month stays open as long as the month is not over. In September normally refers to a closed period once September has passed.
A quick test: can you add “and this is the situation now”? The present perfect is often natural. Can you add “then, after that…” in a story? The past simple is often the better choice.
Building a 90-Second Status Update
An effective progress update can follow a five-move structure.
- Current state: announce the main result with the present perfect. We have completed user acceptance testing.
- Dated proof: place a milestone or incident with the past simple. The client signed off the final scenario on Wednesday.
- Still-active gap: name what has not been obtained. We haven’t received the production credentials yet.
- Impact: link the information to the decision. As a result, Friday’s deployment is at risk.
- Next action: say who does what and when. Liam will escalate the request today and update us by 4 p.m.
Full example
We have completed user acceptance testing, and the client has approved all critical scenarios. The client signed off the final scenario on Wednesday. However, we haven’t received the production credentials yet, so Friday’s deployment is at risk. Liam will escalate the request today and send an update by 4 p.m.
This model alternates tenses without decorative effect. The present perfect sets the current situation; the past simple gives chronological proof; the future or scheduled present closes the action loop. To then run the meeting itself, see our guide to leading a meeting in English without losing control.
The Mistakes That Really Create Ambiguity
Mistake 1: pairing the present perfect with a finished time
Avoid: We have completed the test yesterday. Prefer: We completed the test yesterday.
Why: yesterday explicitly closes the period. If the current result is important, add a second clause: We completed the test yesterday, so the release can proceed.
Mistake 2: telling the whole meeting in the present perfect
Avoid: We have met the client, we have reviewed the options and we have selected option B — if the meeting is clearly placed and finished.
Prefer: We met the client on Monday, reviewed the options and selected option B. Now we have updated the roadmap.
Why: the past simple structures the chronology; the present perfect returns to the project’s new state.
Mistake 3: translating “since” automatically from your own language
Situation still true: We have worked on this issue since Monday. Finished situation: We worked on this issue from Monday to Wednesday.
Why: since + a starting point goes with the present perfect when the situation continues up to now. A completely finished duration calls for the past simple.
Mistake 4: forgetting the past participle
Avoid: We have chose a new supplier. Prefer: We have chosen a new supplier.
Frequent project verbs deserve targeted revision: do–did–done, go–went–gone, choose–chose–chosen, write–wrote–written, send–sent–sent, meet–met–met, make–made–made.
Mistake 5: choosing the tense without stating the impact
Even when correct, We have missed the milestone remains insufficient. Add the consequence and the action: We have missed the milestone, so the testing window is now one week shorter. We will review the scope this afternoon.
A B1–B2 Teaching Pathway in Five Steps
Step 1 — Diagnostic: let the decision emerge
Present six pairs of sentences without giving the rule. Ask: “Which sentence describes the current state? Which tells a dated episode?” The trainer observes the strategies, not only the score.
Step 2 — Modelling: put the three filters into words
Learners apply the questions current result / finished period / experience. They underline the time marker, box the current result and justify their choice in simple English.
Step 3 — Guided practice: decide, then produce
Learners complete sentences, transform raw notes and compare their answer with the key. The correction must make the meaning explicit, not just name the tense.
Step 4 — Simulation: run a real project update
From a mini-file — three milestones, an incident, a blockage, an action — the learner produces a 60-to-90-second update. A peer plays the manager and asks two clarifying questions.
Step 5 — Transfer: reuse on a real project
Within 48 hours, the learner records or writes a progress update linked to their job. The manager or trainer checks the clarity of the chronology and the presence of a next action. This evidence of transfer counts for more than an isolated exercise.
Exercise 1 — Choose the Tense That Serves the Message
Complete with the present perfect or the past simple.
- We ______ the onboarding guide, so the HR team can share it now. (finish)
- We ______ the onboarding guide last Friday. (finish)
- The supplier ______ the revised quote yet. (not send)
- The supplier ______ the first quote on 3 October. (send)
- Our team ______ eight customer interviews so far this month. (conduct)
- Our team ______ eight customer interviews in September. (conduct)
- ______ you ever ______ a cross-border payroll project? (manage)
- ______ you ______ the payroll migration in 2024? (manage)
- We ______ a conflict during yesterday’s test and rolled back the patch. (find)
- We ______ a conflict, so the release is currently paused. (find)
Commented answer key
- 1. have finished — the result allows an action now.
- 2. finished — last Friday is a finished period.
- 3. hasn’t sent — yet signals an absence that is still relevant.
- 4. sent — the date is precise and finished.
- 5. have conducted — so far this month gives a provisional total.
- 6. conducted — September is treated as a closed period.
- 7. Have / managed — experience up to today.
- 8. Did / manage — a project dated 2024.
- 9. found — the incident is part of a past sequence.
- 10. have found — the discovery explains the release’s current state.
Exercise 2 — Repair the Ambiguities
Rewrite each sentence. If necessary, add a current consequence.
- We have launched the pilot yesterday.
- We completed three modules this week. (It is Wednesday and the period continues.)
- The client didn’t approve the scope yet.
- I have wrote the status report.
- We have met the vendor on Monday and we have selected a new delivery date.
Suggested corrections
- We launched the pilot yesterday. The first feedback has already arrived.
- We have completed three modules this week.
- The client hasn’t approved the scope yet.
- I have written the status report.
- We met the vendor on Monday and selected a new delivery date. We have now updated the plan.
Exercise 3 — Turn Notes Into a Progress Update
Notes: user tests finished; client validation Wednesday; two critical defects found; one defect fixed today; second defect still open; decision to postpone the release taken yesterday; new slot not yet confirmed.
B1 instruction: produce five sentences in a logical order. Use at least two present perfects and two past simples.
B2 instruction: add the impact, a recommendation and an answer to the question “Why did you postpone the release?”
A possible answer
We have completed user testing. The client approved the final scenario on Wednesday. We found two critical defects during the test, and we have fixed one of them today. The second defect is still open. We decided yesterday to postpone the release, but we haven’t confirmed the new deployment slot yet. I recommend keeping the current team available until the infrastructure team confirms the date.
Another answer may be correct if the time frame changes. Assessment focuses on consistency between intention, period and the tense chosen.
Exercise 4 — Useful Flashcards for a Project Update
- Result finished now: We have completed… / We have finalised…
- Information not yet received: We haven’t received… yet.
- Provisional total: So far, we have…
- Decision taken yesterday: We decided yesterday to…
- Milestone reached last week: We reached the milestone last week.
- Relevant experience: Have you ever handled…?
- First dated occurrence: We first encountered this issue in…
- Current consequence: We have identified…, so we now need to…
- Open period: This week, we have…
- Closed period: Last week, we…
Pronunciation: Making the Grammatical Information Audible
A correct but inaudible form can be misunderstood. First work on the contractions I’ve, we’ve, you’ve, he’s and hasn’t/haven’t in short sentences. The aim is not to imitate an accent, but to make the auxiliary identifiable.
- Contrastive repetition: We completed the test. / We’ve completed the test.
- Sentence stress: stress the result or the time marker. We’ve COMPLETED the test. / We completed the test on TUESDAY.
- -ed endings: sort project verbs such as launched, tested and updated by final sound, then reuse them in an update.
- Recording: the learner produces three pairs, listens back and checks whether have/has and the time marker are audible.
Criterion: a colleague who cannot see the text should be able to tell whether the sentence gives a current result or a dated fact.
Transfer Activity in the Workplace
Choose a real low-risk project. The learner prepares a 90-second update from five headings: current result, dated milestone, blockage, impact, next action. They record it once, self-assess with the three filters, then produce a second version.
The manager does not correct every error. They answer three questions: did I understand the current state? did I understand what happened and when? do I know what the team will do next? If any answer is no, the learner revises the sentence carrying the missing information.
10-point assessment grid
- 2 points — current results expressed with a consistent tense.
- 2 points — dated events or closed periods correctly placed.
- 2 points — precise, non-contradictory time markers.
- 2 points — impact and next action made explicit.
- 1 point — verb forms and past participles sufficiently accurate.
- 1 point — intelligible spoken message, key auxiliaries and endings audible.
Target B1 threshold: 7/10 with preparation and a familiar topic. B2 indicator: 8/10 or more, with spontaneous answers to two questions and the ability to rephrase an ambiguity.
How to Build This Into an L&D Pathway
For a company, the aim is not to offer an isolated conjugation lesson. It is to secure a recurring task: team meeting, client reporting, steering committee or escalation message.
- Before the session: collect two anonymised examples of real status updates and identify chronology ambiguities.
- During the session: compare the examples, apply the three filters, then practise with targeted lessons on the present perfect and the simple past.
- After the session: produce a real update within 48 hours and receive targeted feedback on clarity, not an exhaustive correction.
- At day 14: reuse the grid on a new project and compare the first and second productions.
Useful indicators: rate of appropriate choices, number of clarification requests, ability to announce a consequence and quality of the next action. This evidence is closer to workplace performance than a decontextualised grammar score.
FAQ
What is the main difference between the present perfect and the past simple?
The present perfect links a past action to the present situation; the past simple places an action in a finished period or tells a past sequence. Context and intention take priority over word-for-word equivalents in your own language.
Can you use the present perfect with a date?
Not with a finished moment such as yesterday, last Monday or in 2024. An open period is fine, however: today, this week or this quarter, if it is not over when you speak.
Should you always use the present perfect with already and yet?
These adverbs often appear with the present perfect because they point to the current result. They do not, however, spare you from examining the meaning and the time frame.
Does the present perfect correspond to level B1?
The CEFR does not distribute tenses one by one. At B1–B2, it assesses the ability to report facts, present a professional subject clearly, take part in a discussion and give precise information. The tense is a means serving that task.
How can I tell whether my progress update is clear?
Ask a colleague to restate three elements: the current situation, the past event and the next action. If they hesitate on any of them, review the tense or the time marker.
What should I do if I make a mistake in a meeting?
Rephrase immediately: Sorry, let me clarify. We completed the test on Tuesday, and the result is now available. The ability to repair the message counts for more than the pursuit of silent perfection.
How does e-dutainment help a team?
A contextualised pathway can combine a language lesson, examples taken from work, guided practice, oral training and a transfer task. The aim is for the rule to be reused in a real project update, then measured with shared criteria.
How is the present perfect formed in the affirmative, negative and interrogative?
The present perfect is formed with the auxiliary have or has followed by the past participle: affirmative I have finished, negative I haven’t finished, interrogative Have you finished? Regular verbs take -ed; irregular verbs have a past participle to learn (do–did–done, send–sent–sent).
What is the difference between the simple past and the present perfect?
The simple past (past simple) places a fact in a finished period, often with a marker such as yesterday or last week. The present perfect links the past to the present and puts forward a result, an experience or a still-open period. In a progress update, the tense chosen changes the information given.
Which adverbs and time markers go with the present perfect?
Already, yet, just, so far, recently, since and for often accompany the present perfect. By contrast, avoid yesterday, last Monday or in 2024, which refer to a finished period. An open period such as today or this week remains compatible.
Conclusion: The Verb Tense Is Steering Information
In a progress update, the present perfect puts the spotlight on what is true or relevant now. The past simple orders facts in a finished period. The distinction becomes simple when you stop translating word for word and ask three questions: what is the current result? is the period finished? is it useful experience or a dated episode?
A team does not need to recite the whole conjugation. It must be able to produce a reliable message, answer “when?”, explain “what does this change?” and conclude “what is the next action?”. It is on that condition that grammar becomes a professional skill.
Work on Grammar in Context With e-dutainment
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Sources and References
- Council of Europe, CEFR Companion Volume with New Descriptors: B1–B2 descriptors for production, presentation and formal discussion.
- Council of Europe, CEFR descriptors page.
- British Council LearnEnglish, Present perfect (B1–B2 level).
- Teaching source: teaching resources developed by Marmignon Brothers for the e-dutainment app.
