Local and Family Celebrations

Present Perfect vs. Past Simple

Both tenses talk about the past, but we use them for different reasons.

1. Present Perfect – “have/has + past participle”

We use Present Perfect to talk about:

• Experiences – something you’ve done in your life (no exact time)
  → I’ve been to many weddings.

• Recent events with a result now
  → We’ve just had a big family dinner.

• Actions that continue until now
  → I’ve known my cousin since childhood.

⚠️ Do NOT use Present Perfect with a specific past time!
❌ I’ve been to a wedding last month. → ✅ I went to a wedding last month.

2.  Past Simple – “verb + -ed” or irregular form

We use Past Simple to talk about:

• A finished time in the past (we know when)
  → I went to my cousin’s wedding last month.
  → We had a family gathering on Sunday.

• A story or sequence of past events
  → First we met at the church, then we went to the reception.

Common time words: yesterday, last week, two years ago, when I was a child/young

🗂 Grammar Table

🎯 Quick Practice (5 minutes)

Choose the correct form:

1. I ______ (go) to my cousin’s name day last week.
2. We ______ (have) many family dinners this year.
3. My parents ______ (celebrate) their 25th anniversary in June.
4. I ______ (not see) my uncle since Christmas.
5. We ______ (make) a cake for grandma’s birthday today.

Family Celebration Vocabulary (BrE)

Conversation Questions – Local and Family Celebrations

Q: Have you ever celebrated a wedding in your family?

A: Yes, I’ve been to my sister’s wedding – it was beautiful.

Q: What was the best family event you’ve had?

A: My grandparents’ 50th anniversary – we had a big garden party.

Q: Did you go to any family celebrations last year?

A: Yes, we went to my cousin’s name day in June.

Q: Have you ever helped to organise a family event?

A: Yes, I’ve helped decorate and prepare food for a family reunion.

Q: What traditions do Slovak families follow at weddings or anniversaries?

A: People usually dance, give gifts, and make toasts.

Q: Do you prefer big or small family gatherings? Why?

A: I prefer small ones – they feel more personal.

Q: Have you ever forgotten a family member’s name day or birthday?

A: Yes, once I forgot my aunt’s name day and felt terrible!

Q: What family traditions would you like to continue in the future?

A: I’d like to keep the Sunday lunch tradition with my family.

Q: Do you think people celebrate family events differently today than in the past?

A: Yes, today people often post about them on social media.