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Hello,
What is the difference between saying:
- I was told that I have to attend today.
- I have been told that I have to attend today.
I know both of these two sentences are passive voice and the first one is simple past and the second one is present perfect. But are they direct to the same meaning? In other word, are they changeable ?
Thank you so much
*Not a Teacher*
Though they're different tenses, I'd say there's little difference in meaning between the two phrases. I just can't think of a context where I'd particularly favor one over the other.
If I arrive somewhere and am then told that my attendance is required, I might protest, "I was told I have/had to attend today". The present perfect is unlikely there.
"I was told..." The basic difference is that the time of the action is in the past, referring to a period of time that is now over. Remember: simple past and how it differs from present perfect? That still applies here.
"I have been told..." can include that you have been told many times in the past, while the time you are speaking about remains open.
Examples:
Yesterday, I was told that I look looked like my father.
I have also been told that I look like my mother. (intended time period left open, thus present perfect)
The first indicates that I was told once.
The second indicates that perhaps I have been told more than once.
In British English, the present perfect is generally used often like the simple past.
She hit me! Or: She's hit me!
Americans would generally stick to the simple past for that expression
To an extent. However, with 'being told', I am inclined to agree with SlickVic: "Though they're different tenses, I'd say there's little difference in meaning between the two phrases."Quote:
Originally Posted by M.Andrew
It can, but this is not an essential meaning associated with the present perfect.Quote:
"I have been told..." can include that you have been told many times in the past, while the time you are speaking about remains open.
Once again, this is not necessarily the case. The key factor in using the past tense in the first example was the decision to place the telling in the past - Yesterday. It's quite possible to say, "At the family reunion yesterday, I was told (by several people) that I looked like my father".Quote:
Examples:
Yesterday, I was told that I look looked like my father.
I have also been told that I look like my mother. (intended time period left open, thus present perfect)
The first indicates that I was told once.
The second indicates that perhaps I have been told more than once.[
It's perhaps more accurate to say that in BrE we tend to use the present perfect for very recent past events that may have some bearing on the present in situations when many speakers of AmE prefer the past simple - I've just seen Mary (BrE); I just saw Mary (AmE),Quote:
In British English, the present perfect is generally used often like the simple past.
In that particular example, I feel that many speakers of BrE would use a past simple if we were speaking immediately after the blow.Quote:
She hit me! Or: She's hit me!
Americans would generally stick to the simple past for that expression
Not a teacher.
To me, the first example shows that one was directly told that he or she needs to attend something, whereas the second example seems more like hearsay. It's less direct, less firm, almost as though the speaker may not believe or care about it. They seem more likely to blow off the engagement than in the first example.Quote:
Originally Posted by binsadan