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Anonymous Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Use of sentence form

Are both the present perfect and simple past possible? I thought that present perfect should not be used with specific time, or is this sentence a duration if time?

Have you seen a therapist in the last year?
Did you see a therapist in the last year?
  

Top answer

You are right, present perfect is associated with a duration while, past simple expresses an event at a specific time in the past, therefore, 1. Have you seen a therapist in the last/past year? This talks about the duration of the past 12 months, from Dec2014-Dec2015.

— Hrsanei

  • You are right, present perfect is associated with a duration while, past simple expresses an event at a specific time in the past, therefore, 1.
  • Have you seen a therapist in the last/past year?
  • This talks about the duration of the past 12 months, from Dec2014-Dec2015.
  • 2.
  • Did you see a therapist in the last year?
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4 Answers
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You are right, present perfect is associated with a duration while, past simple expresses an event at a specific time in the past, therefore,

1. Have you seen a therapist in the last/past year? This talks about the duration of the past 12 months, from Dec2014-Dec2015.

2. Did you see a therapist in the last year? Indicates a definite time in the past which
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hrsaneiYou are right, present perfect is associated with a duration while, past simple expresses an event at a specific time in the past, therefore, 1. Have you seen a therapist in the last/past year? This talks about the duration of the past 12 months, from Dec2014-Dec2015. 2. Did you see a therapist in the last year? Indicates a definite time in the past which is "last
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AnonymousSo the past simple can not be used for duration like the present perfect, right?
Well, not in the same sense as the present perfect, but the time period can have duration -

The Zhou dynasty reigned for 800 years.
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