He won/he has won

Question

Can one use:1) He won two Nobel prizes.instead of:2) He has won two Nobel prizes.I am assuming that 'he' is alive. I'd use '2', but I am not sure that '1' is incorrect. Maybe it changes the meaning a bit.Gratefully,Navi

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

navitasan
Can one use:
1) He won two Nobel prizes.
instead of:
2) He has won two Nobel prizes.

I am assuming that 'he' is alive. I'd use '2', but I am not sure that '1' is incorrect. Maybe it changes the meaning a bit.

Gratefully,
Navi

It's not a matter of two different meanings. Rather, the speaker may wish to express the thought in one way or another depending on the situation, including the grammatical context. So the question is not so much "What is the difference in meaning?", but "What is the context in which each is appropriate?"

The past ( 1 ) is used for narration. It is used when the speaker wants to present information as completely separate from the present. There is a distinct gap in time between the action expressed in the sentence and the present moment. This form allows the addition of information which gives the time at which something happened. He won two Nobel prizes in the 1960s.

The present perfect ( 2 ) is used for updating information. It is used when the speaker feels that the information is relevant to the topic currently under discussion or when the action in the sentence continues up to the present moment. (In this sentence it would have to be the first reason because winning happens instantaneously and can't "continue up to the present moment".) This form does not allow additional information about the time an action occurred.

CJ

He won/he has won

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