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JungKim Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

ate vs. have eaten

In a novel "Mating Brand," there's this conversation:
A: Are you hungry?
B: No. I ate a burger on the drive here.
A: You need to eat more. You're so damn thin.

Is it grammatical for "B" to use the past tense in context?

How about using the present perfect tense instead?
B: No. I've eaten a burger on the drive here.
  

Top answer

JungKim Is it grammatical for "B" to use the past tense in context? Yes, that is fine. He is stating a past fact.

— Mister Micawber

  • JungKim Is it grammatical for "B" to use the past tense in context?
  • Yes, that is fine.
  • He is stating a past fact.
  • B: No.
  • I've eaten a burger on the drive here.
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5 Answers
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JungKimIs it grammatical for "B" to use the past tense in context?
Yes, that is fine. He is stating a past fact.
JungKimHow about using the present perfect tense instead?B: No. I've eaten a burger on the drive here.
OK, too, but not the native choice, I think.
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What do you mean by 'the native choice'? The one that a native speaker of English would choose?
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Given that the answer "I ate/have eaten a burger" is a response to the question "Are you hungry?", is it really more natural to simply state a past fact ("I ate a burger") than to imply the current situation of not hungry arising from the past fact ("I've eaten a burger")?
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