She sang/has sung in Las Vegas many times.

[topman85]

I was doing an exercise from a book Fluent English (Page 14, Practice Exercise 2, No. 8) which I should choose a past tense or present perfect tense for this sentence:

She ------- in Las Vegas many times. (sing)

I chose sang, because I knew we must use present perfect tense when the time reference isn't finished yet. In this exercise, they didn't mention the time, so I thought it's better to use past tense of sing. Apparently, I was wrong, but why ? Can someone explain please, why I did wrong ?

 

[Piscean]

Without more context, both forms are possible.

 

[Tarheel]

If "has sung" is used I would assume the person is still alive. However, context doesn't tell me that.

 

[Skrej]

I chose sang, because I knew we must use present perfect tense when the time reference isn't finished yet. In this exercise, they didn't mention the time, so I thought it's better to use past tense of sing. Apparently, I was wrong, but why ? Can someone explain please, why I did wrong ?

That's not the only use of the present perfect, though. One other use of the present perfect is to talk about life experiences. For example, "I have eaten sushi " or "He has never been to China". If you consider her singing as a life experience then the present perfect applies.

The present perfect is really dealing with connections or continuations between the past and the present. Life experiences are just that - things you have done from your birth until the present moment. As your life continues, so do your cumulative experiences.

However, if you just look at the singing as isolated acts, then the past tense makes sense. That's why, as Piscean said, both are possible.

 

[jutfrank]

I chose sang, because I knew we must use present perfect tense when the time reference isn't finished yet.

But sang is not present perfect! It's past simple.

In this exercise, they didn't mention the time, so I thought it's better to use past tense of sing. Apparently, I was wrong, but why ? Can someone explain please, why I did wrong ?

Both forms are correct and would make good sense in the right context, as others have said.

However, your teachers want you to use the present perfect has sung here since the sentence is supposed to be understood to be about life experience. It isn't your fault that your teachers didn't give you sufficient context to interpret the sentence properly.

 

[topman85]

But sang is not present perfect! It's past simple.

I know. I mean that's why I chose past perfect and not present perfect.

However, your teachers want you to use the present perfect has sung here since the sentence is supposed to be understood to be about life experience. It isn't your fault that your teachers didn't give you sufficient context to interpret the sentence properly.

I have no teacher. The exercise is from this book:

 

[jutfrank]

I know. I mean that's why I chose past perfect and not present perfect.

Actually, you chose past simple.

has sung [presnet perfect]
had sung [past perfect]
sang [past simple]

 

[topman85]

Actually, you chose past simple.

has sung [presnet perfect]
had sung [past perfect]
sang [past simple]

yeah, my bad.

 

[emsr2d2]

I was doing an exercise from a book Fluent English (Page 14, Practice Exercise 2, No. 8) in which I should had to choose a the simple past tense or the present perfect tense for this sentence:

She ____________ in Las Vegas many times. (sing)

I chose sang, because I know we must use the present perfect tense when the time reference isn't finished yet. In this exercise, they didn't mention the time, so I thought it's would be better to use the simple past tense of sing. Apparently, I was wrong, but why? Can someone please explain please, why I did was wrong?

Note my changes above.
- There's no need to keep repeating the word "tense". Simply use the definite article followed by the name of the tense.
- Don't put a space before a question mark.