Which one is correct and why?

Question

Hey, which one is more correct and why:I've taken this picture today or I took this picture todaySkateboarding ruined my life or skateboarding has ruined my lifeHe has proven that in his previous movie or he prooved that in his previous movieThanks.

Pieanne · Accepted Answer

#1. I've taken this picture today, because if you say "today", then today is not finished yet.

#2. I'd say both can be correct. "ruined" if you're at the end of your life and look back. "Has ruined" if you can add "so far"

Tomer · Answer

Thanks, I added one more sentence in the last minute, can you aslo correct it please? <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'/>

CalifJim · Answer

I've taken this picture today is not possible. Today is a specific time. Mentions of specific times are not used with the present perfect. With an indefinite object (pictures) and no mention of time, you can use the present perfect, e.g., I've often taken pictures with this camera. You need I took this picture today.

Skateboarding ruined my life (then, at some particular time). Perhaps you are thinking of a skateboarding accident which happened in the past. You are focusing on the change in your life that happened then.
Skateboarding has ruined my life. My life is currently ruined because of doing skateboarding throughout my life up to now.
Both are correct. It depends what you mean.

As with the first example, He has proven that in his previous movie does not seem right because it refers (indirectly) to a specific time -- the time of the previous movie. The present perfect represents action (or the effect of an action) that continues in some way up to the present moment, so you could say He has proven that in his most recent movie.

He proved that in his previous movie is correct.

CJ

Pieanne · Answer

CalifJimI've taken this picture today is not possible. Today is a specific time. Mentions of specific times are not used with the present perfect. With an indefinite object (pictures) and no mention of time, you can use the present perfect, e.g., I've often taken pictures with this camera. You need I took this picture today.

CJ

Really? But "today" is present, I mean it's still now... How can we use the past when it's still now?

CalifJim · Answer

Difficult one. The time of taking the photo is today, but it's not now. Today consists of a whole series of points in time, only one of which is now. I think I have taken this photo today would have to be interpreted as I have taken this photo earlier today, which contains even more clearly an unwanted mention of a past time.

Strangely, I have just taken this photo is possible, even though it is not, very strictly speaking, now. And I hear I have just taken this photo today as a borderline case in which the emphasis is on the 'freshness' or 'recency' of the photo, as if to say This is not just any old photo that I dug up out of a dusty box. It has been taken only since this very day began. But I did not take the meaning this way in the poster's original question.

To me, the neutral version is simply I took this photo today. Nevertheless, I suspect that some people might accept I've taken this photo today, as you do. (It may be a British preference. We might wait and see what others say.)

CJ

Pieanne · Answer

I think it's the "this" that makes it tricky... The sentence as it stands sounds like the answer to the question: "When did you take this picture?" > "I took this photo today"

If we had "I've only taken one/this picture today", it could be the answer to "How maky pictures have you taken today?"; in this case, I think the PP would be OK

What do you think?

CalifJim · Answer

Exactly!!! this is the culprit! I agree with you completely.

CJ

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