Tense choice

Question

Hi,I have the following sentences."I [witnessed/ have witnessed] the accident that everyone is talking about""He says he [has witnessed/ witnessed] the accident that everyone is talking about."Could you help me make the tense choice and explain why?Thank you very much!Zil

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

ZilCould you help me make the tense choice

There is no explicit mention of a definite time, so either one is possible. Nevertheless, "the accident that everyone is talking about" refers to a specific accident, and an accident is an event that takes place at a specific time. Therefore, at least to my ear, the simple past (witnessed) sounds better (in both sentences).

More indefinitely, however, you could have I have (just) witnessed an accident, as when calling emergency services. And also Yes, I have witnessed an accident in answer to the question Have you ever witnessed an accident?

CJ

Zil · Answer

CalifJiman accident is an event that takes place at a specific time.

Thanks CalifJim. As you said, an event contains a specific time, that makes sense for using the simple past here, but what if we are talking about a definite object. i.e. it does not contain a specific time?
For example,

-The sculpture is really beautiful. [ How much did you pay for it? / How much have you paid for it? ]
- Ah thank you. Actually a collector [has given/ gave] it to me.

To my ears, the simple past sounds better in both sentences, but I can't tell why. Is there any reason for using or not using the simple past? what do you think?

Thanks you very much!

Zil

Anonymous · Answer

Zil Hi,I have the following sentences."I [witnessed/ have witnessed] the accident that everyone is talking about""He says he [has witnessed/ witnessed] the accident that everyone is talking about."Could you help me make the tense choice and explain why?Thank you very much!Zil

As a general rule, we should use the simplest tense that clearly expresses our meaning, in this case the simple past tense.

CalifJim · Answer

Zil-The sculpture is really beautiful. [ How much did you pay for it? / How much have you paid for it? ]- Ah thank you. Actually a collector [has given/ gave] it to me.To my ears, the simple past sounds better in both sentences, but I can't tell why. Is there any reason for using or not using the simple past? what do you think?

I imagine that the payment occurred at a specific time if it occurred, and that the collector gave it to me at a specific time. These are individual events separated from the present moment. They give no information that updates the listener as to what has been going on since the payment or the gift was made.

More than that I can't really say. Much of this is a matter of native speaker intuition, and it takes learners some time to develop that intuition.

CJ

Zil · Answer

CalifJimMore than that I can't really say. Much of this is a matter of native speaker intuition, and it takes learners some time to develop that intuition.

Maybe you are right. I've been trying to make English like science that could get me an unambiguous answer if an unambiguous premise is given.

Thank you very much!

Zil

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