YSchneider  +  553677 Mon, 11 Aug 08 09:13 PM So could you just try to explain when you use the present perfect beyond that kind of rule: So, we can say that generally we use the present perfect to talk about experiences, changes over time, accomplishments, and uncompleted actions we expect to be completed. Examples: Experience: I have been to England many times. Change over time: You have grown since I last saw you. Accomplishment: My daughter has learned to drive. Uncompleted task expected to be completed: The snow has not stopped. Maybe like the sentence: I've spoken to my boss... or I've received your e-mail! YSchneider Joined on Thu, Aug 7 2008 New Member 21 Present Perfect

	Yankee  +  553767 Tue, 12 Aug 08 01:33 AM CalifJim “It would take a very astute American listener indeed to notice anything 'amiss' in a British speaker's use of the present perfect in any given situation.  I'd bet that no American listener would ever say to himself, "How interesting.  I would have used the simple past there." ” Of course they wouldn't say that, Jim.  Most don't even know what the names of verb tenses/forms are. That's the reason I specifically mentioned people who are NOT English (ESL) teachers. I'll grant you that a single difference in usage might slip by unremarked, but repeated or regular differences in usage will be and are noticed. In some cases the listener might be able to pinpoint the difference, in other cases it may simply be a more general feeling that something about the way something was said was unusual.  My opinion comes from (among other things) years spent working together with lots of British colleagues and also from the feedback of Americans and Brits working together in multinational companies, both here and in Europe. That said, I agree that non-native speakers should not drive themselves crazy worrying about British vs American usage of the past tense and the present perfect.  The similarities are much more numerous than the differences. Yankee Joined on Sat, Apr 15 2006 Connecticut, USA Veteran Member 6,499 Amy "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." - Mark Twain Verbs, Tenses, Simple Past, Present Perfect, Past Tenses

	CalifJim  +  553776 Tue, 12 Aug 08 02:20 AM Yankee “years spent working together with lots of British colleagues and also from the feedback of Americans and Brits working together in multinational companies” So you're saying that a lot of people remark on differences that turn out to involve the use of simple past and present perfect?  Do their remarks take the form, "So-and-so said such-and-such incorrectly"? CJ  CalifJim Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004 California Veteran Member 22,399 "There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche Simple Past, Present Perfect

	Yankee  +  553782 Tue, 12 Aug 08 03:14 AM The conversations have been quite varied and in a wide variety of contexts, about both spoken and written English.   As I'm sure you know, there are other things that might be different too.  However, in my experience, simple past vs present perfect usage is one of the variations that tends to be picked up on.  And, no, my experience is not that Americans usually blurt out "So-and-so said such-and-such incorrectly." Instead I've usually heard more general comments along the lines of "different" or "weird". And whenever possible, I've then tried to get the commenter to elaborate. As I said, people are sometimes able to nail down specifics fairly readily.  Sometimes it takes some prying to find out.  Sometimes whatever it was that seemed "weird" doesn't get nailed down at all. Of course, in conversations between British and American ESL teachers, the actual names of the verb forms will be used, and the conversation will tend to get much more specific. Depending on the personalities and experience of the teachers involved, that's probably the most likely time that someone might just blurt out "So-and-so said such-and-such incorrectly", don't you think? Yankee Verbs, Conversations, Simple Past, Present Perfect

	Huevos  +  554853 Thu, 14 Aug 08 06:11 PM CalifJim “The British, I'm told, find that combinations like "already did" create at least a minor disturbance in their brain waves!” "Already have!" I have always been taught "already" goes with the perfect rather than simple past, but, the truth is we watch so much US TV that the average person would not notice this at all. And these days British schools barely scratch upon the surface of English grammar under the mandatory secondary education of the National Curriculum. As far as people noticing, my guess is the thing that draws the attention is not the almost inaudible "S", but when a verb is used where the past participle and the simple past are not identical (ate, eaten), or where the US form of the simple past still hasn't yet mutated to the weak form (dived versus dove). Huevos Joined on Tue, Mar 25 2008 Regular Member 626 British Native Grammar, Verbs, Simple Past, English Grammar

	CalifJim  +  554863 Thu, 14 Aug 08 06:24 PM Yankee “Depending on the personalities and experience of the teachers involved, that's probably the most likely time that someone might just blurt out "So-and-so said such-and-such incorrectly", don't you think?” I think my problem is watching too much Masterpiece Theatre.  I'm so used to hearing British English that few of the differences even register anymore.  I may be incorrectly attributing my reaction to that of others.  The subtlety of the difference between present perfect and simple past, in many cases, such as those we've been discussing, is often lost on me, so my reaction is impatience.  "What's the big deal?" I ask.  "Just pick one and move on!"  CJ  CalifJim Difference Between, British English, Simple Past, Present Perfect

	Avangi  +  571673 Mon, 29 Sep 08 08:56 PM YSchneider “   Many people from US companys often aswer me in the present perfect like: Thank you, I've received your e-mail OR Yves, I've spoken to my boss and he...or Yves, I've forwarded your mail to our finance department and it will be processed soon! Am I wrong or would you use simple past at least in spoken english? Like: Thank you, I got you mail(I received your mail) or Yves, I spoke to my boss and he said...  What's your opinion on this? ” Hi, I was surprised by the variety of responses this generated. In cases where the tense difference serves no useful purpose, I've always taken it as a difference in register (probably ill-advised though well-intentioned) and by extension a difference in spoken vs. written, and casual vs. formal. Even in business correspondence there are huge differences in the degree of formality one encounters  (company A vs. company B; A addressing B; A addressing C; A addressing a stranger in company D, etc.).  In general, I think Americans with modest educations tend to use the perfect when they feel the need to sound correct.  A particular secretary may feel the need to use it in all her business correspondence, so that it becomes part of her style.  At the bar she may speak differently. I can certainly understand why a non-native would raise the question.   - A.  Edit.  Sorry, didn't notice the date. Avangi Joined on Mon, Nov 19 2007 Veteran Member 8,180 ". . . le plaisir delicieux et toujours nouveau d'une occupation inutile." - Henri de Regnier Dates, Tenses, Simple Past, Present Perfect