Came/has come

Question

Are "John came" and "John has come" used in different situations? If so, how do you distinguish between them? Thanks in advance!

Clive · Accepted Answer

Here's the broad difference.

John came. A past event. eg Maybe 5 minutes ago, or maybe in 1980.

John has come. Sounds like he is here now.

Clive

CalifJim · Answer

voynichAre "John came" and "John has come" used in different situations?

In 1776 John Adams came to Washington to sign important papers. (You can't say "has come" here.)
Look! John has come to the party with Lucy! (As you notice John at the party with Lucy for the first time.)

came is conceptualized as having no relevance for the current state of affairs in which it is uttered. (John Adams' trip to Washington so long ago is a historical fact that has no impact on my eating my dinner here as I read this fact.)

has come is conceptualized as having relevance for the current situation. (John and Lucy's being at the party is information that affects me personally at this very moment. I can greet them and talk with them at the party.)

In most cases, as time goes on, all instances of the present perfect eventually become instances of the simple past. During a poet's life, from time to time someone says, "He has written another poem", "He has written another poem", "He has written another poem". A hundred years after his death we say, "He wrote a lot of poems".

CJ

Voynich · Answer

Thanks for the detail explanation! I have one more question. Does the way the present perfect has relevance for the current situation depend on the context?

CalifJim · Answer

voynichDoes the way the present perfect has relevance for the current situation depend on the context?

Definitely. Yes.

CJ

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