Would you rather say it in the present perfect or in the past simple?

Question

Howdy,Which one is correct and why?1) The author has decided to delimit the survey's outcome and conclusions.2) The author decided to delimit the survey's outcome and conclusions.I'd say that the first one stresses the fact that a decision was/has been made (?) and what matters is the result of that decision, i.e. that the survey is delimited. I'm not sure though...Thanks,

Mr Wordy · Accepted Answer

It's the usual simple past vs. present perfect distinction. See e.g. http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/StudyZone/410/grammar/ppvpast.htm

#1 suggests a recent decision whose effects are current and relevant. Maybe the survey has just been published.

#2 suggests that the decision was further back in the past and is more a part of history.

Anglista2008 · Answer

thanks,

and what if it is me who writes the sentence in the footnotes of a thesis? should I rather use the present perfect or the past simple?

Mr Wordy · Answer

anglista2008
and what if it is me who writes the sentence in the footnotes of a thesis? should I rather use the present perfect or the past simple?

When was the survey published?

Anglista2008 · Answer

hmm... some time ago... can't really say right now...

but isn't the time of my decision that actually matters?

Mr Wordy · Answer

anglista2008
hmm... some time ago... can't really say right now...

but isn't the time of my decision that actually matters?

I understood "the author" to be the author of the survey to which you are referring. Are you saying that "the author" is you?

Anglista2008 · Answer

I'm not the author of the survey as such, but I'm the one who has decided to delimit its outcome... And I a\have to let the readers know that I've done it/did it ... What I don't know is whether I should let them know about that in the form of the present perfect or the past simple...

Mr Wordy · Answer

anglista2008
I'm not the author of the survey as such, but I'm the one who has decided to delimit its outcome... And I a\have to let the readers know that I've done it/did it ... What I don't know is whether I should let them know about that in the form of the present perfect or the past simple...

Oh, I see. I thought you meant it was the author of the survey who had made the decision. If it is you, then you should use "has decided" because the decision is very much of current interest and importance as you write your thesis.

This does raise the question, though, of whether it is clear that "the author" refers to you and not to the author of the survey.

I am not entirely sure how you "delimit" a survey's "outcome".

Would you rather say it in the present perfect or in the past simple?

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