Forum_mail  +  222395 Thu, 04 May 06 01:26 PM I always have some trouble when it comes to sentences like : 1. Tell me everything about your exam you have had/taken today Should I rather use simple past? One could say that "the exam" is a (or the?) past event, already finished and belonging to the past. But on the other hand one might say that "today" is still going on so the usage of present perfect is ok. Please, tell me what I should do... 2. Have you had/taken your exam today ? or Did you have/take your exam today ? The same thing as above... the same question. 3. What if we added a phrase like "in the morning" ? Would it somehow affect the usage of tenses? (and by the way - do we say "What if we add..." or "What if we added..." ?) thanks in advance, Forum_mail Joined on Mon, Aug 29 2005 Poland Full Member 153 I BEG YOU - CORRECT ME IF YOU NOTICE ANY MISTAKES IN MY POSTS! THANKS A LOT! :) Tenses, Simple Past, Present Perfect

	yunus  +  222415 Thu, 04 May 06 03:08 PM if i were you i would choose past tense, because i know that if we talk something about what we made today, we should past simple. because today indicates us a specific time. we use present perfect when we don't a specific time. so it should be tell me everything about your exam (which) you had today. and what if we add sounds better because you're telling us at the moment. for example you drank alcohol unbeknown your father. then you say him what if i drank alcohol, what's to you? ( certainly, i don't offer like this dialogue with your father, it is very rude) on the other hand, you didn't drink alcohol, but you have an intention about drink alcohol, but you aren't allowed to drink by your father. so you say; what if i drink alcohol, nothing will be. yunus Joined on Sun, Jan 30 2005 İstanbul Full Member 205 istanbul Tenses, Present Perfect, Past Tenses, Past Simple

	Philip  +  222499 Thu, 04 May 06 08:28 PM  Forum_mail wrote: I always have some trouble when it comes to sentences like : 1. Tell me everything about your exam you have had/taken today Should I rather use simple past? One could say that "the exam" is a (or the?) past event, already finished and belonging to the past. But on the other hand one might say that "today" is still going on so the usage of present perfect is ok. Please, tell me what I should do... 2. Have you had/taken your exam today ? or Did you have/take your exam today ? The same thing as above... the same question. 3. What if we added a phrase like "in the morning" ? Would it somehow affect the usage of tenses? (and by the way - do we say "What if we add..." or "What if we added..." ?) thanks in advance, While using the present perfect (or any perfect tense, for that matter), we need to be as unspecific as possible about when the action took place.  Otherwise, the simpe past is better, being as specific as we want. Philip Joined on Thu, Jun 23 2005 Veteran Member 8,738 At reise er at leve! - H. C. Andersen Tenses, Simple Past, Present Perfect

	Forum_mail  +  222512 Thu, 04 May 06 09:32 PM then what about the rule which says that we can use present perfect even when we say "today" but when the day is not over yet we may use present perfect... ? Forum_mail Present Perfect

	Philip  +  222544 Fri, 05 May 06 12:49 AM  Forum_mail wrote: then what about the rule which says that we can use present perfect even when we say "today" but when the day is not over yet we may use present perfect... ? If you ask:  "Have you finished that assignment yet?"  I would answer, "Yes, I finished it today." Philip Present Perfect