[Grammar] I have a small problem with Present Perfect and Past Simple

[Xenon]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LembwKDo1Dk

"I just want the money"
"You got the chip ?"

and 2:55
"every corpol cop in this city is gonna be blasting down these doors after what you and your psycho friend did"
"We didn't need all this attention" (but they have it now)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAGVQLHvwOY

1:25 "For my whole life, I didn't know if I really existed, but I do." (I guess is about a change in the past he didn't know but now he know so that's why past simple, but I jsut add it)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLofR3poAxE

here is a lot of it

what do you think about that ?
I don't know if I can send those videos.

 

[Xenon]

I guess I get it.

Like "Guys chase this thiev!! He has stollen my wallet"
"Hey guys did you catch this thief?" (is the past action but now he is asking, maybe he is police office)
"Hey guys have you caught this thief?" (so the present situation should be if he is here now, in police hands)

something like that. I don't know if it's correct.

Compering to videos I've sent. Especially the last one where they use only past simple, while they are talking about present situation of past action.

Thanks for replying
Xenon :-D

 

[emsr2d2]

thiev :cross:
thief :tick: (noun)

thieve = verb

 

[probus]

Stollen: delicious, but nothing to do with the stealing of wallets.

 

[Xenon]

Stollen: delicious, but nothing to do with the stealing of wallets.

I thought that If I use present perfect.
He has stollen my wallet. (It could mean that in the present situation he still has it, or something like that)

By the way guys what do you think about those videos I sent. (I guess I used this time properly)
Those characters from the videos are using past simple while they are talking about present situation

 

[jutfrank]

Those characters from the videos are using past simple while they are talking about present situation

Not really, no.

Please let's focus on only one example at a time. Which part of which video do you want to ask about?

 

[Xenon]

Maybe the last video.
The whole scene is about what the situation is now, that was triggered by the past action.
They only use Past simple.
They say "We made it" "We didn't need a story" "You asked me before why we did this ?"
There is a lot of it even when it is about present situation they use past simple

 

[emsr2d2]

He has stollen my wallet.

You have misspelled the word again! Perhaps you missed the point of probus' first post that mentioned "stollen". If so, let me put it more plainly. You need to check the spelling of that verb form of "steal" and use the correct spelling from now on.

 

[probus]

So if I'll say :

-You did a great job ! (it would mean that you did this job in the past, even when we see it now, we emphesis the past action which is "his work")

*Is it ready ?
*Yea, I've done it. (Like he did his job in the past but he emphesize the present situation which is that they have it now).


Is it correct ?

That is all correct as far as the simple past and the present perfect are concerned. But you should not use the future at the beginning. In English we use the present tense for conditionals:

If I say such and so, is that okay?

 

[Xenon]

When they use the past tense they are talking about the actions in past time. In each sentence, you could, if you so wished, add the words 'at that time'. The fact that these past situations may have affected the present situation is not their main focus.

James: I have been arrested for murder! I am sitting here in jail How the heck did I get in this situation?

As I though.
According to James sentence:

"I have been arrested for murder! I am sitting here in jail How the heck did I get in this situation?"
(have been arrested for murder is about current situation which is where he is right now, but by telling How the heck did I get in this situation? he want to say how he got here in the past even when he is there right now. He want to emphesize the action.)

I also understand the fragment with Lawyer. He is showing the story behind the actual situation.


If I interpret this like that :

"I thought about many things that could happen, but when I faced the truth. I have to say I'm disappointed." (Quote from "Mr. Robot")

(He thought past action, I faced the truth also a past action that now it could change. So now he says that he is disappointed of the actual sytuation).

 

[Xenon]

"How the heck did I get in this situation?" - Why past simple while he is in this situation ? "being arrested in jail" --- "getting in this situation"

 

[emsr2d2]

"How the heck did I get in this situation?"

Why is the past simple used while he is in this situation? "being [STRIKE]arrested[/STRIKE] in jail" --- "getting into this situation"

"How did I get here?" equates to "What happened to result in this situation?" Being in jail is the current situation. The event that led to that situation must have been in the past.

 

[Xenon]

Simply because the speaker is focusing on the past event(s).

If you are thinking about tense/aspects it is probably more useful to ask why a present perfect form is appropriate than why a past-tense form is. It's probably fair to say that past tenses are the default terms when referring to past time-events.

Ok so If we are talking about in what situation present perfect is appropriat. Then in this video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s21zPa1N5-8
At the very beggining. Eliot says : "Why did Tyrell let this happen?"

[ 0:01 to 0:15 ]

Focusing on the past ? Just to emphesize the past action of why he let this happen. Instead of emphesizing the current sutiation which is disaster in the office
I think present perfect is more appropriate compering to actual situtation.

Just like in the last example "did I get in this situation" to "I have been arrested for murder!" first just past action, even when the present situation is showing that he is now in jail.

 

[GoesStation]

Ok so If we are talking about in what situation present perfect is appropriat.

Don't capitalize "if" unless it's the first word of a sentence.

Review the correct spelling of appropriate and emphasize.

 

[Xenon]

You appear convinced that your understanding of how these tense-forms should be used is better than that of people in the examples you select.

It can sound like that, when I'm writting it, I'm trying to check if it's correct.

When they use the past tense they are talking about the actions in past time. In each sentence, you could, if you so wished, add the words 'at that time'. The fact that these past situations may have affected the present situation is not their main focus.

This one is the one I'm focusing on.
Like the examples before. I used "Damn where did I go?". Even when this situation occurs now, past simple is used here. I guess it's because the main focus is about the past action
But it was incorrect using this sentence.

So seeing this part "How the heck did I get in this situation?" - past action, main focus how did this happen (what action happened in the past), even when the present situation is that he is in jail. So according to some explanation, I've concluded (now in the present) that maybe it's about the past action, the present situation is invalid.

Or in the last example from Mr. Robot.
"Why did Tyrell let this happen." - focusing on past action of letting it happen, the present situation shows the disaster. But I guess here the main thing is to focus on the past action.

Don't capitalize "if" unless it's the first word of a sentence.

Review the correct spelling of appropriate and emphasize.

Thanks for correcting me

 

[Tdol]

If you only have a small problem, you're doing much better than many learners.

 

[Xenon]

Good to know :-D Thanks for comment.
But I'm pretty stubborn (known as an annoying person in many forums not only about English). That's why I'm still posting, because I think that maybe I'll understand some things, and try to tell it about my friends that have invalid information about this tense.

 

[Xenon]

I just want to know if my last post is correct or something like that. I'm now attempting to do an interpret of those examples according to post #39. So if you guys can check it out I would be very appreciated.

To think that small thread can change into something that will give me a lot to think about those 2 tenses :-D. Thanks guys that you wanted to read some of those bad grammatically written posts.


Here is my attempt :

"Did I say it loud?"- Can be appropriate when I want to emphasize the past action while I see that people are sad because of this action ?
Or is it more appropriate to use this one
"Have I told it loud?"- Can be appropriate when I want to emphasize the present action of past action ? I see that people are sad because of that.

Like in your last post Piscean. This example may mean that "How did I get in this situation" - maybe it's from book or maybe you made this example. Then I think that the autor wanted to emphasize the past action "get" even when the present situation is that he is in jail. He want to know how did this happen in the past,emphasizing the past action not the present situation. He is just looking for answears (what actions brought him here, what happened there).

Am I right ? Just a bit ?

Because well example "Damn where did I go" sound unnatural. So I wanted to make make sure that those examples are like this one.

 

[Xenon]

Oh and I've found another example that can be considered with the description you wrote from the post #39

Piscean:When they use the past tense they are talking about the actions in past time. In each sentence, you could, if you so wished, add the words 'at that time'. The fact that these past situations may have affected the present situation is not their main focus.

abaka: The present perfect is a present tense. When you use it, you are speaking about the present, not the past.
The simple past is a past tense. When you use it, you are speaking about the past, not the present.

Like : "phobia soup we've all been drowning in because of him ?" - I know it's present perfect continuous but still and I'm not going to use here past simple, I'll just try to consider just present perfect used in this fragment.

(I guess it's used to emphasize the present action + the time that passed from point A to B, because here is present perfect continuous)

Or this one

"I'm talking about exclusive groups [...] created to manage control, a dealer getting people hooked on the drug of hope, his followers nothing but addicts [...]"

I guess it's some kind of background story ? Or emphasizing the past action, that they were created for something for the future (present).

If anyone is interested you can (if you don't want to then don't) watch this fragment :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu-v9B83Nls
Time : 1:11 -- 1:31

I'm trying to interpret them according to the post #39. Can you check them please if they are correct ?
Thanks a lot.

 

[jutfrank]

We're now approaching 50 posts in this thread. I suggest you spend some time re-reading them all.

If you still have a specific question about a particular use of the present perfect, then present it clearly and concisely so that it is easy for us to answer.