Hello everyone! This is the fist post in my "Past Simple vs. Present Perfect series" and my first post ever. I will appreciate any comments you may have.
CONTEXT: We have a mother and son. The son sometimes has lunch at school canteen and sometimes doesn't. He may have lunch at a fast food restaurant on his way home. When he comes home, his mother asks...
Have you eaten yet?
Did you eat yet? - possible in AmE only
...to find out whether he has had ANY lunch at all.
What if she wants to know whether he has had (or had?) lunch at school? What is she say going to say?
a) Did you eat at school?
b) Have you eaten at school?
I'd go for a) because the time is known, yet not explicitly mentioned.
CONTEXT: We have a mother and son. The son sometimes has lunch at school canteen and sometimes doesn't. He may have lunch at a fast food restaurant on his way home. When he comes home, his mother asks...
Have you eaten yet?
Did you eat yet? - possible in AmE only
...to find out whether he has had ANY lunch at all.
What if she wants to know whether he has had (or had?) lunch at school? What is she say going to say?
a) Did you eat at school?
b) Have you eaten at school?
I'd go for a) because the time is known, yet not explicitly mentioned.
Hi,
Welcome to the Forum.
I agree with you about answer a.
I think the perfect is not appropriate here because 'her mind is in the past', she is not involved with the past as it impacts on the present; otherwise, she would say 'Have you eaten yet?', and not care much whether it was at school or in a restaurant.
Best wishes, Clive
Welcome to the Forum.
I agree with you about answer a.
I think the perfect is not appropriate here because 'her mind is in the past', she is not involved with the past as it impacts on the present; otherwise, she would say 'Have you eaten yet?', and not care much whether it was at school or in a restaurant.
Best wishes, Clive
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Comments
If she wants to ask him only about the experience of eating at a certain place at any time in the past and up to, or just prior to, the moment of speaking, she would probably use "have you..." in BE. If she wants to ask him only about the experience of eating at a certain place on that day, she could use both "have you..." and "did you..." in BE.
Have you (ever) eaten at school/VIPS/Burger King, etc.
Imagine you are at the office at 10:00. "Did you eat breakfast?" makes more sense that "Have you eaten breakfast?", because the normal time for breakfast is before 10:00.
Have you had dinner? my answer is ..Yes, I had my dinner. another question..Have you already eaten your dinner? what will be my answer? Please guide me..Thanks Carmen