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Anonymous Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

Can you tell me why this is wrong?

He has been there last year.

I would think the error is with "has been", which the sentence does not need, it should just be He was there last year. But, what is the grammar rule for why it should be "was" instead of "has been"?

Thanks!!
  

Top answer

Clearly in the past time (last year). Thus simple past tense . Click on the simple past button underneath your posting.

— Marius Hancu

  • Clearly in the past time (last year).
  • Thus simple past tense .
  • Click on the simple past button underneath your posting.
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7 Answers
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Clearly in the past time (last year). Thus simple past tense.

Click on the simple past button underneath your posting.
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AnonymousHe has been there last year.

I would think the error is with "has been", which the sentence does not need, it should just be He was there last year. But, what is the grammar rule for why it should be "was" instead of "has been"?

When something happened in the past, 'was' is used.

So, 'He was there last year.'

'has
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You are correct. It should be He was there last year.
The grammatical rule is extremely simple. It is one of the simplest grammatical rules in the entire English language!

You cannot mention a definite time in a sentence containing a present perfect tense.

(last year is considered a definite time in this sense.)

So you need one of these:
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So the correct sentence He was there last year is simple past, whereas the incorrect He has been there last year is past progressive?

Thanks to you all very much!!
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AnonymousSo the correct sentence He was there last year is simple past, whereas the incorrect He has been there last year is past progressive?
No:

He was there last year. simple past
*He has been there last year. present perfect (* m
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He was there last year is simple past, whereas the incorrect He has been there last year is past progressive?
No!
He was there last year is simple past Yes!
*He has been there last year is past progressive No! It's present perfect.

Neither of these sentences contain -ing forms. You have to have an -ing form
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Ok, gottcha! Thanks for that (I have to study the tenses).
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