When i have to use the present perfect?

[Emma]

hi to everybordy i read a topic where somebody said when i have to use the present perfect.

if i use the present perfect when i have to say that something have appened sometime before now i have to use eveywhere even if the action is finished.

Can somebody answer?

Emma

[Conchita]

Yes, what you've read is correct. The present perfect is used for actions which happened at an unstated time in the past:

They have sold their house. (When? We don't know).

However, if the time of the action is stated, the past simple is used:

They sold their house two weeks ago. (When? Two weeks ago.)

[Guest]

but people uses the simple past even if the time is not expressed why?

[Guest]

for example if i am talking at school a person is talking and says: "i downloaded that video" "i gave my cd to my sister"
i alwais hear this way...why?

[Conchita]

[Guest]

can you tell me why they speak this way?

[Conchita]

[Guest]

if i'm talking with someone and i say:"i bought a new car" or "i left school"? is it right?

[Yankee]

Hi Emma

Yes, it's OK to say:

"I bought a new car."
-- or --
"I left school."

(But you should capitalize the word "I" when you write )

Amy

PS
Do you and Harry know each other?

[Guest]

but why could you explain it?

[Yankee]

Hi Guest (Emma?)

I've got some questions for you:
- You mentioned friends at school. What nationality are your friends?
- Are you 100% sure that your friends never use the present perfect? Isn't it also possible that maybe you sometimes just don't hear the shortened forms of have/has (I've, you've, he's, etc.)???
- Why don't you ask your teacher about the uses of present perfect and the simple past tense?
- Do you have a grammar book?
- What else do you do to learn English?
- Also, why don't you try looking for explanations that have already been posted in the forum?


In addition to what Conchita has already written in your thread, there have been a number of present perfect explanations in the forum.

For example, just yesterday there was this: (Present perfect vs simple past)
http://www.english-test.net/forum/ftopic9467.html#25103

More examples:
Meaning of appoint
http://www.english-test.net/forum/ftopic9126.html
Structure: have you ever done something
http://www.english-test.net/forum/ftopic6150.html

Generally speaking, if you are discussing a finished action in the past, the simple past tense is usually OK.

If you are simply making a general list of things you have done before now (without any kind of further information or detailed discussion about those things and without talking about when you did the things), then you can probably use the present perfect.

Maybe the following piece of information will also help you:

About 70 to 80 percent of spoken English consists or just two verb tenses:

- THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE (He lives/Does he live?/ He doesn't live/etc.)

- THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE (He lived/ Did he live?/ He didn't live/ etc.)

What does that tell you? It should tell you that the simple past tense is much more often used than the present perfect!

That information alone should help you understand why your friends seem to use the simple past tense so often.

Amy