Hi,
Who disturbs my slumber!!!
It's a pity you stopped it there...but, don't worry, here's Michael Swan (entry 419, page 422-3, sections 3, 4 and 5 -fourteenth impression 2002, there is a new edition, though); hope it makes you re-take your discussion. If you -native speakers- fail to reach an agreement and draw some kind of conclusion I think I'll take to drinking...
PAST TIME (5) SIMPLE PRESENT PERFECT AND SIMPLE PAST (ADVANCED POINTS) 3.- PRESENT PERFECT WITH PAST TIME ADVERBS
Grammars usually say that the present perfect tenses cannot be used together with expressions of finished time -we can say
I have seen him or
I saw him yesterday, but not
I have seen him yesterday. In fact, such structures are unusual but not impossible (though learners should avoid them)
(personal addition; Not only do they belong to an inferior class, but they will also be unable to understand it . So learners, don't rush in, just in case)
Here are some real examples taken from news broadcasts, newspaper articles, advertisements, letters and conversations.
France
has detonated a Hiroshima-sized nuclear bomb on Mururoa Atoll in the South Pacific
at 17.02 GMT on Wednesday.
Police
have arrested more than 900 suspected drugs traffickers in raids throughout the country
on Friday and Saturday.
...a runner
who's beaten Linford Christie
earlier this year.
A 24-year-old soldier
has been killed in a road accident
while on patrol last night.
A lot of the drivers will be thinking about the circuit, because
we've had some rain
earlier today.
The horse's trainer
has had a winner here
yesterday,
...indicating that the geological activity
has taken place a very long lime ago.
Perhaps what
has helped us to win eight major awards
last year alone...
I
have stocked the infirmary cupboard
only yesterday.
I am pleased to confirm that Lloyds Bank ...
has opened a Home Loan account for you
on 19th May 1982 4.- SIMPLE PAST FOR NEWS.
Recently, some Britsh newspapers have started regularly using the simple past for smaller news announcements -probably to save space. Some authentic examples from the front page of one newspaper:
The Swedish prosecutor leading the Olaf Palme murder hunt resigned after accusing police chiefs of serious negligence.
An unnamed Ulster businessman was shot dead by terrorists...
Driving wind and rain forced 600 out of 2,500 teenagers to abandon the annual 'Ten Tor' trek across Dartmoor.
5.- AMERICAN ENGLISH
In American English the simple past is often used to give news.
Did you hear? Switzerland declared/has declared war on Mongolia!
(GB: Have you heard? Switzerland has declared war...)
Uh, honey, I lost / I've lost the keys. (GB: ...I've lost...)
Lucy just called. (GB: Lucy has just called)
In American English, it is also possible to use the simple past with indefinite past-time adverbs like 'already, yet, ever and before.'
Did you eat already? (or Have you eaten ...?)
(GB: Have you eaten already?)
I didn't call Bobby yet. (or I haven't called...)
(GB: I haven't called...)
I hope you find it useful and come as close as possible to some sort of compromise so that we 'learners' find some ground to hold on to when telling our teachers why we find the mark given unfair. Please do go on
P.S.- My textbook includes time expressions such as 'over the last few years'
when illustrating the use of the present perfect, which leads to a lot of controversy as for the interpretation of the years included and teachers make us remember the difference between 'last week' and 'the last week', which in turn sparks off the production of sentences such as 'I haven't seen Peter the last week', which we are told to be unacceptable. You won't believe what classes are like nor the teacher's frame of mind at the end of them...
Best regards.