Present Perfect

Question

Hello!!I was studying and I saw this example comparing Present perfect continuous and simple.The example is:Present Perfect ContinuousThere is paint on Kate's clothes. She has been painting her bedroom.Present Perfect SimpleHer bedroom was green. Now it is yellow. She has painted her bedroom. Can I use past simple in the second example? She painted her room. What is the difference between both sentences (She has painted and She painted)? Thanks

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

carolstCan I use past simple in the second example?

Not very comfortably, no. The set-up shows that the speaker has just noticed a change (from green to yellow). That kind of observation is usually expressed with the present perfect, which connects current observations with past actions.

"painted her bedroom" goes in a different context, as for example, when you're recounting the actions that someone took in the past.

Sally was very busy last month. She wallpapered the kitchen. She planted roses in her front yard. She painted her bedroom. Now she's going to rest for a while.

CJ

Grammarfreak · Answer

carolstCan I use past simple in the second example? She painted her room. What is the difference between both sentences (She has painted and She painted)?

PPC and PP always connote a sense of presence. The paint on Kate's clothes suggestively came from the painting she has just finished. The loose answer to your question is, yes, you can depending on how you construct the sentence.
Her room was green before. She painted to yellow. In the past construction, it only tells the reader that the painting was done in the past, it could be a week ago, 3 months or last year.

Carolst · Answer

Thanks a lot! =)

Present Perfect

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