Presnent perfect and simple past !! :(

Question

Hello everybody

I'm sick of reading a lot of grammer books without know when can we use the present perfect and simple past when i describe somthing happened in the past

i really need an explanation for that in the simplest way because i'm really tired of Grammer books

Thank you

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

Consider these two basic examples.

I passed my driving test in 1995. Simply states a fact about a past event.

I have passed my driving test. States a fact about some event in the past that has importance to the present situation. eg Dad, can I borrow your car keys this evening.

Any questions about these examples?

Clive

Jacky56Lin · Answer

Teacher Clive

sorry for interrupting !

"that has importance to the present situation".

I know this an adjective clause. Tell me, “Which object does it modify?”

Thanks a lot

Clive · Answer

Hi,

event

Clive

Jacky56Lin · Answer

Thank you!<img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

Canadian45 · Answer

CliveHi,Consider these two basic examples.I passed my driving test in 1995.

Simply states a fact about a past event.

I have passed my driving test. States a fact about some event in the past that has importance to the present situation.

eg Dad, can I borrow your car keys this evening.Any questions about these examples?Clive

Are you suggesting that simple past tense cannot be relevant to the present? (as quite a few speakers of British English suggest)

Whether a person uses simple past or present perfect, they wouldn't be saying what they are saying if they didn't feel it was relevant to the present?

'I passed my driving test. Can I borrow your car keys this evening?'

But there are some situations in which only present perfect is correct, and that is when you want to show a current situation.

For example, you started studying English four years ago and you continued to study since then and are still studying English now.

I have studied English for four years. [Y]

I studied English for four years. [N] That is not correct for the above scenario. The simple past sentence could mean that you studied English for four years some time ago but are not studying it now.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Thank you for the comments.

The original poster asked for a very simple explanation. That's why I expressed it that way.

Clive

CalifJim · Answer

Anonymousan explanation for that in the simplest way

Even the simplest way will require some study and thinking. Try these.

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

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

CJ

Jacky56Lin · Answer

Hello teachers

I have studied this section of the article as below many times, but I can’t understand what it says.

Any one makes it much clearer for a basic English learner.

Whether a person uses simple past or present perfect, they wouldn't be saying what they are saying if they didn't feel it was relevant to the present?

'I passed my driving test. Can I borrow your car keys this evening?'

Thanks a lot.

CalifJim · Answer

Jacky56LinI have studied this section of the article as below many times, but I can’t understand what it says.

It is part of a debate in this thread about how narrowly or broadly a person should interpret the expression "relevant to the present".

There is the concept in grammar that the present perfect tense is used when what is said has "current relevance" or "is relevant to the present". A great deal more is left unsaid in this short explanation, of course, but still, that is what grammar books often say about the present perfect tense.

Then there is the ordinary English language idea of "things that are relevant to the present". And if we take this point of view, we would have to say that people never talk about anything that is not relevant to the present -- no matter what tense they use. In other words, using this concept of "relevant to the present" no one speaks at all unless they believe that what they say is relevant (to the present situation). This is a much broader view of "relevant to the present" than is usually meant when that expression is used in grammar texts to explain the use of the present perfect tense.

The example about the car keys was given to show that the simple past (not just the present perfect) can also be used in cases of "relevance to the present" (in the broader sense).

If this explanation doesn't make a lot of sense to you, don't worry about it.

CJ

Jacky56Lin · Answer

Thank you very much Teacher CalifJim

Presnent perfect and simple past !! :(

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