[Grammar] Present Perfect vs Simple Past

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The French

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Good morning or good afternoon,

I would like to have your opinion about the following sentence:

I have been to the doctor's this morning.

I said this phrase in the morning but if I said it in the afternoon can I still use the present perfect tense.

In the same time are you able to enlighten me about the 's' after the word doctor.

Thanks in advance for your replies (do not hesitate to correct my mistakes).
 

bhaisahab

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Good morning or good afternoon,

I would like to have your opinion about the following sentence:

I have been to the doctor's this morning.

I said this sentence in the morning, but if I say it in the afternoon can I still use the present perfect tense?

At the same time, are you able to enlighten me about the 's' after the word doctor?

Thanks in advance for your replies (do not hesitate to correct my mistakes).
No, if you say it in the afternoon it's in the past, use the simple past "went". "Doctor's" is a short way of saying "doctor's surgery/office".
 

euncu

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***Neither a teacher nor a native-speaker***

First, you specify the time and secondly,as far as I understand, you are not there anymore.
So, I would use simple past tense, like; I went to see the doctor this morning.
 

The French

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No, if you say it in the afternoon it's in the past, use the simple past "went". "Doctor's" is a short way of saying "doctor's surgery/office".

Hi teacher,

You are always fast in your replies. Thanks for your correction but can you tell me what difference you make between the words 'phrase' and 'sentence'.

See you soon and thanks again.
 

The French

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***Neither a teacher nor a native-speaker***

First, you specify the time and secondly,as far as I understand, you are not there anymore.
So, I would use simple past tense, like; I went to see the doctor this morning.

Hi Euncu,

In my mind when you use the present perfect tense it's to show that an action has a result in the moment of speaking or thta is still continuing. I know the border line is not very clear and there are some differnces between countries but it's another issue.

Bye.;-)
 

bhaisahab

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Hi teacher,

You are always fast in your replies. Thanks for your correction but can you tell me what difference you make between the words 'phrase' and 'sentence'.

See you soon and thanks again.

A phrase is just a group of words in order, a sentence is "une phrase" in French, it starts with a capital letter, has a subject, an object and a verb (at least), and finishes with a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark.
 

The French

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A phrase is just a group of words in order, a sentence is "une phrase" in French, it starts with a capital letter, has a subject, an object and a verb (at least), and finishes with a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark.

Hi teacher,

I understand now why I am confused.It's what I call a 'bad friend'.

Have a nice day.
:up:
 

euncu

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Maybe, it is true for some cases such as:
I broke my arm (It's well now)
I've broken my arm (It hurts when I move it)

But as for your example it indicates a completed action. I know you say so by considering the sentences like I've been to Italy,etc. I am not sure about the grammatical roots of saying that way but if we are not referring to an action but referring to an experience, we use have/has been. And another thing to mention, as far as I know if we specified an exact time we should use simple past tense, like;
I talked to him ten minutes ago
We went there yesterday.

Since I'm neither a teacher nor a native -speaker, I suggest that we wait for a native-speaker to confirm this.
 
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bhaisahab

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I have been to the doctor's this morning.



Maybe, it is true for some cases such as:
I broke my arm (It's well now)
I've broken my arm (It hurts when I move it)

But as for your example it indicates a completed action. I know you say so by considering the sentences like I've been to Italy,etc. I am not sure about the grammatical roots of saying that way but if we are not referring to an action but referring to an experience, we use have/has been. And another thing to mention, as far as I know if we specified an exact time we should use simple past tense, like;
I talked to him ten minutes ago
We went there yesterday.

Since I'm neither a teacher nor a native -speaker, I suggest that we wait for a native-speaker to confirm this.
I have been to the doctor's this morning. This sentence is perfectly correct if said in the morning. Consider this conversation: Person #1 "I've been to the doctor's this morning." person #2 "Have you, what did she say?"

 

euncu

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I have been to the doctor's this morning. This sentence is perfectly correct if said in the morning. Consider this conversation: Person #1 "I've been to the doctor's this morning." person #2 "Have you, what did she say?"


If I've understood you right, It is about time, not about action.

1)I've gone to the market today.(I'm back but It is still today)
2)I went to the market yesterday.(Yesterday is over,I'm saying it today)

I've to admit that the first sentence sounds weird since I am not in the market (I'm home now)
 

The French

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Hi Euncu,

About an experience life I have always learnt that we must use the present perfet tense.:-D

See you later.
 

euncu

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Question:Have you ever gone to see a doctor
Superman:No, I haven't, I don't get sick.

Q: Did you see the(your) doctor?
A1:Yes, I did
A2:No, I haven't seen him yet. I'm still in his waiting room and reading a magazine.


Here I have examplified what I know about the difference between these two tenses, but what I know is not always necessarily what it should be.(since I'm not a native-speaker)
 

Barb_D

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The last point you raise --oops - on the prior page! -- depends on how you view yourself in the time spectrum of the day.

[So far today] I've been to the post office, the bank, and the market today. [But the day is not over because] I'm home for a few minutes, then I have to take Johnny to hockey practice, stop by the church to drop off the items for the rummage sale, and drop off my dry cleaning, which I forgot when I went to the market earlier.

versus:
Oh, I had a busy day [and the busy part is over]. I went to the post office, the bank, the market, took Johnny to practice, and dropped off the stuff for the rummage sale and the dry cleaning. Thank goodness Mark's mother will bring the boys home so I can sit still for a few moments.
 

bhaisahab

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If I've understood you right, It is about time, not about action.

1)I've gone to the market today.(I'm back but It is still today)
2)I went to the market yesterday.(Yesterday is over,I'm saying it today)

I've to admit that the first sentence sounds weird since I am not in the market (I'm home now)

"I have gone to the market today" is incorrect, in English we use the verb "to be" in that context "I have been..." I don't know anything about the Turkish language, but I know that that is problematic for French speakers. In French it's "je suis allé(e) au marché aujourd'hui" or "I am gone to the market today." In English you can't do that, if you are gone, you are not there to say it.
 

The French

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"I have gone to the market today" is incorrect, in English we use the verb "to be" in that context "I have been..." I don't know anything about the Turkish language, but I know that that is problematic for French speakers. In French it's "je suis allé(e) au marché aujourd'hui" or "I am gone to the market today." In English you can't do that, if you are gone, you are not there to say it.

I agree with you teacher, in French often we cannot translate directly our mind in English.

Cordially,
 
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