This is always tricky for French speakers!
Remember that any “finished” event in the past must be expressed with the Simple Present i.e Yesterday I went to work.
By contrast, recent events or actions we considered “unfinished” are expressed with the Present Perfect i.e I have been late for for 3 times this week and it’s only Thursday (the week isn’t finished).
Take a look at these questions and find the right tense to fit the context.
You find a simple explanation after each question.
When you have done it once, do it again but QUICKER ! How fast can you go ?