milan2003_07
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2011
- Member Type
- Academic
- Native Language
- Russian
- Home Country
- Russian Federation
- Current Location
- Russian Federation
We normally use the present perfect tense when we're focusing on the present details rather than the past details. When there is some finished time, past simple is usually used. However, the Oxford Grammar Book by Michael Swan offers some examples of using the present perfect when the past tense should have been used according to the general rules.
1. A 24-year-old soldier has been killed in a road accident last night.
2. Police have arrested more than 100 suspected drug traffickers in raids throughout the country on Friday and Saturday.
If I didn't know about these exceptions (?), I would have used the past simple in both sentences (was killed, arrested).
What do you think about these sentences regarding the usage of the present perfect? Do you consider it appropriate? The book says the sentences are OK, but I'm still puzzled...
1. A 24-year-old soldier has been killed in a road accident last night.
2. Police have arrested more than 100 suspected drug traffickers in raids throughout the country on Friday and Saturday.
If I didn't know about these exceptions (?), I would have used the past simple in both sentences (was killed, arrested).
What do you think about these sentences regarding the usage of the present perfect? Do you consider it appropriate? The book says the sentences are OK, but I'm still puzzled...