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White_Storm Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

Present Perfect Tense

Hi all,

I am confused again about the use of present perfect tense.

Last Friday my British supervisor gave me a task, the deadline was Tuesday. Then he asked me about this task on Monday: "Did you complete it?"

I thought a British guy would say: "Have you completed?" as he is asking "if the document is ready or not now"

Then I talked to some British people and they said either of them is fine.

I expected to hear "Have you completed?" because in my grammar book "English Grammar in Use - Raymond Murphy, Cambridge University" says in an Appendix about the differences between American and British English that:

British: The present perfect is used for an action in the past with a result now;

I have lost my key. Have you seen it?
Sally is not here. She's gone out.
Have you finished your job yet?

American: The present perfect or past simple can be used

I have lost my key. Have you seen it? OR I lost my key did you see it?
Sally is not here. She's gone out. OR She went out.
Have you finished your job yet? OR Did you finish your job yet?

I talked to a British girl about these. She sad "I lost my key" sounds good too, and she said if she see me in my hospital while I am holding my arm she can say "Did you break your arm?" instead of "Have you broken your arm?" as it is easier.

What do you think about these? Especially "Have you finished your job yet / Did you finish your job yet" is very similar to "Have you completed it (yet) / Did you complete it (yet)?"

Is my book wrong as it claims British don't use past simple if they talk about the result of the action or outdated or formally true? Or Do I miss something?

Can you help me please?
  

Top answer

Hi, Your book should say eg often eg more often than Americans Clive

  • Hi, Your book should say eg often eg more often than Americans Clive
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20 Answers
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Hi,

Your book should say
eg often
eg more often than Americans

Clive
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Sorry I couldn't understand. Do you mean British use past simple instead of present perfect more than Americans do?
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Perhaps the British are becoming more influenced by American English. This could result in similar uses of the present perfect and the past in both varieties of English.

I don't think your book is wrong, but sometimes books exaggerate differences that are only slight.

CJ
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CalifJimPerhaps the British are becoming more influenced by American English. This could result in similar uses of the present perfect and the past in both varieties of English.
I agree - and I am a speaker of BrE.

If you check what I write and say, you'll find that I practise what Murphy preaches. However, i am 66. Younger Brits appear, as CJ suggest
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fivejedjoni am 66
I don't which shocks me more -- the first element or the last! Emotion: big smile
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CalifJim fivejedjoni am 66I don't which shocks me more -- the first element or the last! CJ
ok, i am 66, but that doesnt stop me trying to deny that, i can try to prove i am younger by splicing my commas and not capitalising my is if i feel like it!!!!! ( and by using too many exclamation marks if i feel like it !!!!!!)

The alternative is to ad
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fivejedjonand by using too many exclamation marks if i feel like it !!!!!!
Right on, dude!!!!!!!!!!!

CJ
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Thanks you all for your wise comments.

fivejedjon, Especially having an answer from a British has made me pleased.

Then can we say as formal grammar books preaches British people use present perfect when there is a result in present, in the spoken English in Britain it is usual to hear past simple in the situation like this?

I will not have a British exam but I want to l
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White_StormBritish: The present perfect is used for an action in the past with a result now;I have lost my key. Have you seen it?Sally is not here. She's gone out.Have you finished your job yet?American: The present perfect or past simple can be used
Hi,
Judging from the your English level, ( aside from a few spelling and punctuation errors), I am sort of
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Firstly I thank you for your nice answer. I think I usually use these two tenses in proper situations. However I have hard times while trying to explain logic behind these usages.
grammarfreak Books are dead rules. In real life, many aspects of grammar rules may seem broken to learners, as you have shown here.
I also get confused when it comes to "The pe

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