Past vs Present Perfect

Question

please clarify difference between past and present perfect tense

Grammarfreak · Accepted Answer

Anon,
I would "clarify", but not on what you requested topic. Please understand, this is an English forum. If you want the volunteers to help you, you need to at least attempt to form your questions and follow the basic grammar. You didn't even bother to capitalize and punctunate properly. This goes out to all the "Anonymous". Your request is a bulk question which will take a lot of time to sort out. We need to know how much you know, or don't know. Narrow it down and Google the topic and get some idea so that we can help you easier, and write your question intelligently so that we can understand your problems.

Canadian45 · Answer

The other problem is that we can't be sure if you mean simple past or past perfect.

CalifJim · Answer

Anonymous Please clarify the difference between the past tense and the present perfect tense.

X - the present moment - the moment of speaking
<.......> Time period in which the action or situation occurs.

Simple Past

...............<....>......................X.....................
......................[ ...time gap ..]

Present Perfect

..............................................X>.................
____________________________________________________________

If you mention an absolute time like "yesterday", "last month", "January 20", or if you mention a relative time like "before ...", "after ...", "when ...", then put your sentence in the simple past -- not in the present perfect.

.........TENSE >>>...........Simple Past...........Present Perfect
...
....Mention of time................OK.........................Wrong.........
...
... No mention of time...........OK...........................OK............

The simple past is the tense of accomplishments and events that we wish to isolate and individuate. It is the tense of narration. We tell a story with this tense. The present perfect is the tense of a resume, the tense of recollected experiences, the tense that updates us about how things stand now.

The simple past expresses events as behind an opaque barrier separating the present from the past. The present perfect expresses past events transparently to the present.
___________________

These links may help you.

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfect.html
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/simplepast.html

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

"This goes out to all the "Anonymous""

I strongly disagree. Why does it go out to all the "Anonymous"? To all of them? It is a biased statement to say at least. If anything, it goes out to all members of the forum, the author of this tactless statement included.

Philip · Answer

Anonymous"This goes out to all the "Anonymous""I strongly disagree. Why does it go out to all the "Anonymous"? To all of them? It is a biased statement to say at least. If anything, it goes out to all members of the forum, the author of this tactless statement included.

Please be advised that the poster to whom you are addressing this issue does not represent the vast majority of the members of these forums.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you, Philip, for your reassuring reply.

Grammarfreak · Answer

PhilipAnonymous"This goes out to all the "Anonymous""I strongly disagree. Why does it go out to all the "Anonymous"? To all of them? It is a biased statement to say at least. If anything, it goes out to all members of the forum, the author of this tactless statement included.

Anon,
You can call me "tactless". I have no problem with it. But I think you are taking it out of context. What I referred to in my post was the "anon's" who didn't care about the basic rules of grammar. Let's recap:
Please understand, this is an English forum. If you want the volunteers to help you, you need to at least attempt to form your questions and follow the basic grammar. You didn't even bother to capitalize and punctunate properly. This goes out to all the "Anonymous".

This is a straightfoward statement. If it offended some of you. I apologize.
If my statement struck the nerve of those who are reading my last post out of context, I apologize.

Anonymous · Answer

grammarfreak PhilipAnonymous"This goes out to all the "Anonymous""I strongly disagree. Why does it go out to all the "Anonymous"? To all of them? It is a biased statement to say at least. If anything, it goes out to all members of the forum, the author of this tactless statement included.Anon,You can call me "tactless". I have no problem with it. But I think you are taking it out of context. What I referred to in my post was the "anon's" who didn't care about the basic rules of grammar. Let's recap:Please understand, this is an English forum. If you want the volunteers to help you, you need to at least attempt to form your questions and follow the basic grammar. You didn't even bother to capitalize and punctuate properly. This goes out to all the "Anonymous".This is a straightforward statement. If it offended some of you. I apologize.If my statement struck the nerve of those who are reading my last post out of context, I apologize.

"This is a straightforward statement. If it offended some of you. I apologize."

Thank you, GF, for your reply. Apologies accepted.

Anonymous · Answer

may be were just still on our way to learn the basic rules of grammar

Philip · Answer

Posts on this topic have come from three different places, all listed as anonymous.  This is just another example of why it is important for people to register and take a user name - so we know who the heck we're talking to!

Past vs Present Perfect

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