Present perfect or maybe...

Question

I always have some trouble when it comes to sentences like :

1. Tell me everything about your exam you have had/taken today

Should I rather use simple past? One could say that "the exam" is a (or the?) past event, already finished and belonging to the past. But on the other hand one might say that "today" is still going on so the usage of present perfect is ok. Please, tell me what I should do...

2. Have you had/taken your exam today ? or Did you have/take your exam today ?

The same thing as above... the same question.

3. What if we added a phrase like "in the morning" ? Would it somehow affect the usage of tenses? (and by the way - do we say "What if we add..." or "What if we added..." ?)

thanks in advance,

Marius Hancu · Accepted Answer

deleted, sorry

Yunus · Answer

if i were you i would choose past tense, because i know that if we talk something about what we made today, we should past simple. because today indicates us a specific time. we use present perfect when we don't a specific time. so it should be tell me everything about your exam (which) you had today.

and what if we add sounds better because you're telling us at the moment.

for example you drank alcohol unbeknown your father. then you say him what if i drank alcohol, what's to you? ( certainly, i don't offer like this dialogue with your father, it is very rude)

on the other hand, you didn't drink alcohol, but you have an intention about drink alcohol, but you aren't allowed to drink by your father. so you say; what if i drink alcohol, nothing will be.

Philip · Answer

Forum_mailI always have some trouble when it comes to sentences like :

1. Tell me everything about your exam you have had/taken today

Should I rather use simple past? One could say that "the exam" is a (or the?) past event, already finished and belonging to the past. But on the other hand one might say that "today" is still going on so the usage of present perfect is ok. Please, tell me what I should do...

2. Have you had/taken your exam today ? or Did you have/take your exam today ?

The same thing as above... the same question.

3. What if we added a phrase like "in the morning" ? Would it somehow affect the usage of tenses? (and by the way - do we say "What if we add..." or "What if we added..." ?)

thanks in advance,

While using the present perfect (or any perfect tense, for that matter), we need to be as unspecific as possible about when the action took place. Otherwise, the simpe past is better, being as specific as we want.

Forum_mail · Answer

then what about the rule which says that we can use present perfect even when we say "today" but when the day is not over yet we may use present perfect... ?

Philip · Answer

Forum_mailthen what about the rule which says that we can use present perfect even when we say "today" but when the day is not over yet we may use present perfect... ?

If you ask: "Have you finished that assignment yet?" I would answer, "Yes, I finished it today."

Present perfect or maybe...

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