Present perfect or Simple past??

Question

Hello i need help with present perfect and simple past!! I have some examples here please tell me if the meaning of each sentence would change and how.

Please tell me what each of this sentence would mean:

Suzy has had a baby.

Suzy has a baby.

Suzy had a baby.

Suzy had a baby two weeks ago.

Have you seen the can opener?

Did you see the can opener?

He has shot his girlfriend.

He shot his girlfriend.

He has made a will.

He made a will.

I have seen that movie twice.

I have seen that movie.

I saw that movie.

I already saw that movie.

I have already seen that movie.

Please help ! Thanks.

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

i need help with present perfect and simple past!! I have some examples here please tell me if the meaning of each sentence would change and how.

Let's look at one of your pairs.

He has shot his girlfriend. This tense suggest that the past action has some importance to the present situation.

eg maybe she is lying on the floor bleeding.

He shot his girlfriend. This tense simply states a fact about something that happened at some point in the past. It may have happened 30 seconds ago. It may have happened 30 years ago. We don't know.

Please consider these comments, and then review your other queries. Post again those ones that are still not clear to you, and we can go further in looking at the meaning of Present Perfect.

Best wishes, Clive

Bmaria · Answer

Thanks! I´m beginning to understand it more clearly. I had a little more trouble with the last one though with the movie one. Can you explain it to me?

Clive · Answer

Hi again,

I have seen that movie twice.

I saw it at two unspecified times in the past. This fact has importance to the present situation.

eg Maybe your friend just asked you if you want to go and see it.

I have seen that movie. Similar to above.

I saw that movie. Just states a simple fact anout the past. Maybe I saw it yesterday, maybe 30 years ago.

I already saw that movie. The 'already' shows the statement has some relevance to the present situation. In such cases, the difference between Simple Past and Present Perfect starts to blur. Natives say it both ways.

I have already seen that movie. See comment above.

Write again if you need more help.

Clive

Bmaria · Answer

Ok, so i would´nt be able to say I already saw that movie because of the already? Would i have to say I have already seen that movie? I did not understand it very clearly.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

I already saw that movie. The 'already' shows the statement has some relevance to the present situation. In such cases, the difference between Simple Past and Present Perfect starts to blur. Natives say it both ways.

Please read what I wrote again.

I didn't say you couldn't say it.

Clive

CalifJim · Answer

bmariahelp with present perfect and simple past!!

Generally in any sentence, with the present perfect you are talking about something as if it were somewhere in a clearly visible field you are standing beside; with the past you are talking about something as if it were on the other side of a thick wall you cannot see through.

The present perfect is "open", "indefinite", "transparent".
The past is "closed", "definite", "opaque".

Have you seen the can opener? (It's around here somewhere. We just have to look.)
Did you see the can opener? (You had the opportunity to see it when we were in Sally's kitchen. It was quite unusual in color and style.)

See .

CJ

Clive · Answer

Hi,

This clearly visible field is figurative, of course, in the sense that we are looking at the past from a present point of view.

We say things like

I have left my keys in my other pants.

I have visited Shanghai.

I don't have to be able to see my keys in my field of vision, or see Shanghai.

These statements have relevance to the present situation,

eg because I need to open my office desk

eg because I am talking to someone about China

Clive

CalifJim · Answer

CliveThis clearly visible field is figurative, of course

One might even say "hyper-figurative"! Hence, "as if".

CJ

Eugene Leo · Answer

bmariaOk, so i would´nt be able to say I already saw that movie because of the already? Would i have to say I have already seen that movie? I did not understand it very clearly.

I wouldn't recommend you to say "I already saw..." anyway, that sounds ridiculous, but what's much worse is when someone says something like "I've seen it yesterday", that's a bit of complete nonsense.

CalifJim · Answer

Eugene LeoI wouldn't recommend you to say "I already saw..."

I think Clive has already made it clear. "Natives say it both ways."

Eugene Leowhen someone says something like "I've seen it yesterday", that's a bit of complete nonsense.

Instead of disparaging the sentence as nonsense, it would be more instructive to explain to the student the grammatical reason why it's nonsense. Don't you agree?

CJ

Present perfect or Simple past??

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