[Grammar] Continue answering in Present Perfect or Past Simple

[mrwroc]

If somebody ask me:
Have you done anything interesting with your friends recently?

Should I answer:
[FONT=&quot]Recently I have met my old friend from a previous job. We went to a pub to talk and planned a trip to Rome together.
[/FONT]or
[FONT=&quot]Recently I have met my old friend from a previous job. We have gone to a pub to talk and planned a trip to Rome together.[/FONT]

 

[tedmc]

I think the simple past tense is more natural.

 

[emsr2d2]

I think the simple past tense is more natural.

That also applies to the first sentence. It's more natural as "I [recently] met an old friend from my previous job."

And tedmc's "I think" isn't forceful enough. The present perfect doesn't fit in the second sentence.

 

[mrwroc]

That also applies to the first sentence. It's more natural as "I [recently] met an old friend from my previous job."

And tedmc's "I think" isn't forceful enough. The present perfect doesn't fit in the second sentence.

Why the first sentence in Past Simple if we have a question in Present Perfect and the word "recently" in the first sentence? I understand why the second sentence in Past Simple (because of details of meeting) but why also the first?

 

[mrwroc]

In the sentence we are talking about, 'recently' means 'at a point in the recent past'.

Ok but the question is in Present Perfect
So the below answer will be incorrect? I know the rule that we should answer in the same tense.

Recently I have met my old friend from a previous job. We went to a pub to talk and planned a trip to Rome together.

 

[GoesStation]

Recently I have met my old friend from a previous job. We went to a pub to talk and planned a trip to Rome together.

The underlined verb is incorrect. The present perfect doesn't work there.

Note that tense names are not proper nouns and should not be capitalized.

 

[mrwroc]

I don't understand why present perfect is incorrect in the first sentence We don't know when the action took place and the question is in present perfect.

 

[emsr2d2]

Okay (or OK) but the question is in the present perfect.

[STRIKE][/STRIKE] Don't try to make your own emoticons.

So is the [STRIKE]below[/STRIKE] answer below [STRIKE]will be[/STRIKE] incorrect? I know the rule that we should answer in the same tense.

[STRIKE][/STRIKE] Don't try to make your own emoticons.

Recently,I have met [STRIKE]my[/STRIKE]anold friend from [STRIKE]a[/STRIKE]myprevious job. We went to a pub to talk and planned a trip to Rome together.

Note my corrections above. Please don't try to make your own emoticons. If you really need one, click on the icon in the toolbar and choose one.

There are few rules in English that are absolute. There are lots of exceptions to rules. One of those exceptions is that we don't always respond to a question using the same tense that was used in the question. The choice of tense depends on other words in the response.

Q: What have you done this week? (This could equally be worded "What did you do last week?" if the week is over.)
A: I worked on Monday and Tuesday. On Tuesday evening, I met an old friend. On Thursday, I played football.

As you can see, the question is in the present perfect but all the responses use the past simple because each one has a specific time marker (on Monday and Tuesday, on Tuesday evening, on Wednesday).

Without the time markers, the response could use the present perfect:

Q: What have you done this week?
A: I've been to work, met an old friend and played football. (The word "I've" doesn't need to be repeated but it is taken to be attached to "been", "met" and "played".)

 

[mrwroc]

But in that sentence we have the present perfect and the past simple together:

I've seen that film but I didn't like it.

 

[emsr2d2]

But in [STRIKE]that[/STRIKE] the following sentence, we have the present perfect and the past simple together:

I've seen that film but I didn't like it.

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. Who said we can't have a mixture of tenses in one sentence?

The question eliciting those answers would also be in different tenses.

Q: Have you seen that film?
A: Yes.
Q: Did you like it?
A: No.

"Have you seen that film?" enquires as to whether, at any point in their whole life (which I'm sure you would agree is a long period of time), the person has seen the film. "Did you like it?" refers to one specific point in time - the point at which they watched it.

 

[mrwroc]

The present perfect - usage:

4: A finished action with a result in the present (focus on result). We often use the present perfect to talk about something that happened in the recent past, but that is still true or important now. Sometimes we can use the past simple here, especially in US English.

• I've lost my keys (so I can't get into my house).
• She's hurt her leg (so she can't play tennis today).
• They've missed the bus (so they will be late).

5: We can also use the present perfect to talk about something that happened recently, even if there isn't a clear result in the present. This is common when we want to introduce news and we often use the words 'just / yet / already / recently'. However, the past simple is also correct in these cases, especially in US English.

• The Queen has given a speech.
• I've just seen Lucy.
• The Mayor has announced a new plan for the railways.

That's why I am surprised I can't use the present perfect in the first sentence - the action is finished (I met an old friend), it has a result in the present (a trip to Rome in the future). The 4 point is fulfilled, yes?


Recently I met an old friend from my previous job. We went to a pub to talk and planned a trip to Rome together.

 

[tedmc]

If somebody ask me:
Have you done anything interesting with your friends recently?

Should I answer:
[FONT=&quot]Recently I have met my old friend from a previous job. We went to a pub to talk and planned a trip to Rome together.
[/FONT]or
[FONT=&quot]Recently I have met my old friend from a previous job. We have gone to a pub to talk and planned a trip to Rome together.[/FONT]

A logical answer would be:

Yes, I have. Recently I met my old friend from a previous job. We went to a pub to talk and planned a trip to Rome together.

That would have answered the question in the same tense and go on to use the past tense to elaborate further.