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Paul_h Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

find: in present perfect or simple past?

Hi

my question arose when I was on the phone earlier. I told my friend:

I have found a book I like.

But she said "I found a book I like" is correct. I'm confused.

And now suppose I was to put this statement on Twitter or Facebook. From my point of view, I'd have written "Paul has found a book he likes". But one week later and you see "08/26: Paul has found a book he likes", wouldn't it have to be "Paul found a found he likes." to be correct after a week?

Thanks in advance
Paul
  

Top answer

I don't understand why "I have found a book I like" would be wrong -- not as an isolated sentence, at least. It must have been something else in the context of your phone conversation that caused your friend's reaction. paul_h to be correct after a week?

— CalifJim

  • I don't understand why "I have found a book I like" would be wrong -- not as an isolated sentence, at least.
  • It must have been something else in the context of your phone conversation that caused your friend's reaction.
  • paul_h to be correct after a week?
  • The amount of time that has passed rarely has an influence on the choice between those tenses.
  • I saw the strangest thing this morning.
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6 Answers
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I don't understand why "I have found a book I like" would be wrong -- not as an isolated sentence, at least.

It must have been something else in the context of your phone conversation that caused your friend's reaction.
paul_hto be correct after a week?
The amount of time that has passed rarely has an influence on the choice between those tenses.
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Ok, I can follow your examples.

But you wouldn't probably say "I have found a book I like one week ago" right? If you would say that, please let me know when/under which circumstances. I think I haven't quite figured out the present perfect yet.

Paul
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Actually, that doesn't make sense to me. I would understand why you would say

Philosophers have contributed much to our understanding of consciousness.

But that was clearly in the past, so I'd say

Philosophers of the nineteenth century contributed much to our understanding of consciousness.

or

Philosophers contributed much to our understanding of consc
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paul_hyou wouldn't probably say "I have found a book I like one week ago" right?
Right. Present perfect is the 'indefinite past'. You can't contradict that by including a definite time (one week ago) in the same sentence.
CJ
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paul_hI'd say

Philosophers of the nineteenth century contributed much to our understanding of consciousness.
Yes. You can use either tense. The point was that events distant in the past canbe expressed with the present perfect. There's no rule that says present perfect is always recent and simple past is always long ago. But maybe you knew
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my opinion is below.

“I found the book.” is right one. The verve “find” usually happen in the past when you talk on the phone conversation.
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