I have learnt or I learnt, I have read or I read

[Rachel Adams]

The situation would guide me to one or the other tense in each of these sentences. It might be more random for a British person — or for my sister-in-law and other people in my region, for that matter.

So present perfect, not simple past is used when the time period is not finished.'I have learnt a lot from the discussions'. =I continue. Not 'I learnt' if it's still ongoing.
Present perfect is used when time period is finished and when the action is finished as well. As in these examples: 'We have heard' or 'We heard', 'Has Mark phoned?' 'Did Mark phone?' 'I have given' or ' I gave'. Past simple is not wrong either when both time periods and actions are completed. That's when they (both tenses) can be used interchangeably. I hope I don't misunderstand.

 

[Rachel Adams]

No.If the present perfect is used then the time period is not finished.
I don't think it's particularly helpful to suggest that they can be used interchangeably as if there were no difference at all.

Then in the examples in post 22, please correct me if I am wrong 1. 'We have heard that you have rooms to let. Time period is not finished. But the action is. 2 'Has Mark phoned?' Time period not finished, the action is not finished. 3. ' I have given your old radio to Philip.' I don't understand how the time period is not finished but the action is finished.

 

[Tarheel]

I gave your old radio to Philip.

That would be more natural to me.

 

[GoesStation]

' I have given your old radio to Philip.' I don't understand how the time period is not finished but the action is finished.

I'd say it that way if it was a very recent action or if my interlocutor knew about the plan and the giving had happened since the last time we discussed it. "That old radio we talked about last year? I've finally given it to Philip. I gave it to him last week."

 

[Rachel Adams]

The action, the giving, clearly took place in past time.

The consequence - the radio is no longer in the house - is in the present.

Yes, that's clear to me but the time period is finished as well, isn't?
I read your answer again. If the consequence is in the present then the time period is in the present too?

 

[emsr2d2]

Notwithstanding the last few posts, you'll hear both of the following in natural English:

Bob: I've just been in the garage to look for my old radio but it's not there. Any idea where it could be?
Mary: I gave it to Peter. You hadn't used it for years.

Bob: I've just been in the garage to look for my old radio but it's not there. Any idea where it could be?
Mary: I've given it to Peter. You hadn't used it for years.

 

[Rachel Adams]

I agree that both are fine.

Copied all the answers into my notebook. I am sorry for the long post.
Can I sum up and say that the present perfect is used for actions that are either ongoing or finished( 'I have lived in France for 10 years'. I still live there. 'I have just had my breakfast' finished action) and for only ongoing time periods?
'I have learnt a lot on this forum. I continue using it every day.' Not 'I learnt'.
' I have given your old radio to Philip' the action is completed but the time period continues.
'I gave your old radio to Philip' completed action with the focus on the past moment. The time period of the radio not being in the house continues. So maybe time periods can be ongoing not only with the present perfect?
'Has Mark phoned?' The action is not completed the time period is not completed either.
'Did Mark phone?' I don't know if he phoned or not so I don't know if both the action and time period is completed (if the time period can be ongoing at all with the simple past.) but the focus is on the past moment.
'We have heard that you have rooms to let'. Completed action but the time period of us knowing that they have rooms to let continues.
'We heard that you have rooms to let.' Completed action 'we heard' with the focus on the past. 'You have rooms to let' the time period continues.

 

[emsr2d2]

Copied all the answers into my notebook.

Out of curiosity, did you start that sentence with "Copied" because you weren't sure whether to say "I copied" or "I have copied"? As you know, we encourage learners to always write complete sentences here. By starting with "Copied", you have failed to do so.

 

[Rachel Adams]

Out of curiosity, did you start that sentence with "Copied" because you weren't sure whether to say "I copied" or "I have copied"? As you know, we encourage learners to always write complete sentences here. By starting with "Copied", you have failed to do so.

I started it with 'copied'. I noticed some people omit personal pronouns. Maybe only native speakers do so.

 

[emsr2d2]

I started it with 'copied'. I noticed some people omit personal pronouns. Maybe only native speakers do so.

It's fine in spoken English and when directly quoting someone's words. It's not done in proper written English (I'm not including texts/emails etc between friends). Your answer suggests that you would have written "I copied" if you had decided not to start with "Copied". Am I right?

 

[Rachel Adams]

It's fine in spoken English and when directly quoting someone's words. It's not done in proper written English (I'm not including texts/emails etc between friends). Your answer suggests that you would have written "I copied" if you had decided not to start with "Copied". Am I right?

I would use 'I have copied.' Or 'I copied.'

 

[emsr2d2]

I would have used 'I have copied' no full stop here or 'I copied'.

That is called hedging your bets! I'm sure you wouldn't have written "I copied/I have copied all the answers ...". Come on, Rachel. Which one would you have chosen?

 

[Rachel Adams]

That is called hedging your bets! I'm sure you wouldn't have written "I copied/I have copied all the answers ...". Come on, Rachel. Which one would you have chosen?

If in the movie Titanic, Rose in tells Jack before the famous scene: 'I changed my mind' instead of 'I have changed my mind' and it's not wrong, why can't I use either tense in my answers to you? ' 'I have copied' to express that this is a very recent action and there is a result. Or ' I copied' with the focus on the moment in the past.
From Swan: 'Simple past is used to give news.' 'Honey, I lost the keys.' In British English 'I have lost.'
That's why I said I would have used either.

 

[Yankee]

And to sum up, I would go back to GS's post #2. :lol:

 

[emsr2d2]

The advice in post #2 is, of course, good, but in the "copied" sentence, I would use only "I have copied ...". If some sort of time marker were used, I would use the past simple. For example, "I copied all your answers into my notebook as soon as I read them". Without the time marker, only the present perfect is natural for me.

 

[Rachel Adams]

And to sum up, I would go back to GS's post #2. :lol:

In my original post only present perfect worked because I am still on the forum learning but in additional examples which we have discussed either can be used (post #33 and emsr's examples in post #31.

 

[emsr2d2]

In my original post, only the present perfect worked because I am still on the forum learning but, in additional examples which we have discussed, either can be used (see post #33 and emsr2d2's examples in post #31).

Note my corrections above. The part in blue doesn't fit in that sentence.

 

[Rachel Adams]

Note my corrections above. The part in blue doesn't fit in that sentence.

The part that makes me feel most embarrassed is your username which I wrote incorrectly. Sorry.

 

[emsr2d2]

The part that makes me feel most embarrassed is your username which I wrote incorrectly. Sorry.

That's OK. No need to apologise. It's just always best to quote [most] usernames in full. Can you explain the part I marked out in blue?

 

[Rachel Adams]

That's OK. No need to apologise. It's just always best to quote [most] usernames in full. Can you explain the part I marked out in blue?

Yes, of course. I added 'because I am still on the forum learning' just to remind myself why the present perfect was the correct option.