Choosing between the present perfect (has/have + past participle) and the past simple (worked, went) is a regular problem for Bangladeshi learners, partly because Bangla often uses one form where English needs two. In IELTS, tense errors appear in Speaking Part 1 ("How long have you lived there?"), in Task 2 ("Technology has changed…"), and above all in Task 1, where the time period on the chart decides the tense for the whole report.
Rule 1: Finished time = past simple
If you mention, or clearly mean, a finished time (yesterday, in 2019, last year, when I was a child, two months ago), use the past simple.
- ✘ I have visited Cox's Bazar last December.
- ✔ I visited Cox's Bazar last December.
- ✘ In 2020, many shops have closed because of the pandemic.
- ✔ In 2020, many shops closed because of the pandemic.
The word ago and the phrase last + time never go with the present perfect.
Rule 2: Unfinished time or no time = present perfect
Use the present perfect when the time period continues to now, or when the time is not important but the result matters now.
- ✔ I have lived in Mirpur since 2015. (I still live there)
- ✔ Online shopping has become very popular in Bangladesh. (result now, no specific time)
- ✔ The government has built several new flyovers in recent years.
- ✔ I have never tried Malaysian food.
Signal words: since, for (up to now), recently, in recent years, so far, yet, already, ever, never, over the past decade.
Rule 3: "since" + a point, "for" + a length
- ✘ I have studied English since three years.
- ✔ I have studied English for three years / since 2023.
- ✘ I am living here for ten years.
- ✔ I have been living (or have lived) here for ten years.
Using the present continuous (I am living here for…) is a very typical mistake. With for and since up to now, English needs a perfect form.
Rule 4: Present perfect in Task 2 and Speaking
In Task 2, the present perfect is the natural tense for describing change up to now, often in the introduction.
- ✔ Over the last twenty years, smartphones have transformed the way young people communicate.
- ✔ Many countries have introduced tougher laws on plastic bags, but the problem has not disappeared.
In Speaking, answer the tense of the question. "Have you ever been abroad?" → "Yes, I have. I went to Malaysia in 2024 for a short course." Notice the switch: present perfect for the general experience, past simple once you give the time.
Rule 5: Task 1 tense comes from the dates
Look at the chart's dates before you write a word.
All dates in the past (e.g. 1995–2015): use the past simple throughout.
- ✘ The volume of rice exports has increased between 1995 and 2015.
- ✔ The volume of rice exports increased between 1995 and 2015.
- ✔ Car ownership rose sharply, peaking at 40% in 2010.
Past dates up to the present year: the present perfect is possible for the overall trend, but the past simple is safer for specific points.
Future dates (e.g. projections to 2040): use future forms for predictions. Do not write "will be increased" for an intransitive verb.
- ✘ The population will be increased to 200 million by 2040.
- ✔ The population is expected to rise / is projected to reach / will increase to 200 million by 2040.
Mixed charts (2000–2040): past simple for the past, future forms for the projection.
- ✔ Electric vehicle sales stood at 2% in 2020 and are predicted to climb to 35% by 2035.
Diagrams and maps that show "now": use the present simple, e.g. The factory is located north of the river.
Rule 6: Do not mix tenses inside one description
A common Band 5 pattern is jumping between increase, increased and has increased in the same paragraph. Choose one time frame and keep it unless the dates change.
Mini exercise
Choose the correct form.
- I (have finished / finished) my HSC exams two years ago.
- Dhaka's population (has grown / grew) rapidly since the 1990s.
- In 2005, the proportion of female students (has reached / reached) 45%.
- By 2050, the number of elderly people (will be increased / is predicted to increase) significantly.
- I (am working / have been working) at this bank for eighteen months.
Quick tip: Before writing Task 1, circle the first and last dates on the graph and write the tense in the margin of your question paper: past, future or mixed. It takes five seconds and prevents the most expensive tense error in the test.
Answers
- finished ("two years ago" is finished time)
- has grown ("since" + time up to now)
- reached (a finished past date)
- is predicted to increase ("increase" here has no object, so no passive)
- have been working (for + length of time up to now)