[Grammar] I was in CAN. What......you......(do) there?

[tom3m]

I was in Canada. What......you......(do) there?

We did this as a part of a present perfect simple/past simple exercise at school. The correct answer was 'did you do'. I would like to know why present perfect is not acceptible.

I imagine the situation when I am meeting a friend just having arrived from a trip around the world. Among other things, he is telling me that he was in Canada. Would it be possible to use 'have done' in this situation, or is this sentence strictly past?

 

[MikeNewYork]

I would not use "have done" there. "Did you do" is completely natural.

 

[5jj]

The first speaker has located his time in Canada in the past. The second speaker naturally asks about past actions.

 

[Nicklexoxo]

Hello everyone, if it wasn't a school exercise, Can I use Present Perfect-Continuous?

I was in Canada.
What you have been doing there?

 

[emsr2d2]

Hello everyone, if it wasn't a school exercise, Can I use Present Perfect-Continuous?

I was in Canada.
What you have been doing there?

Here are what I feel are the most natural statement and resultant question forms:

I've been in Canada.
What have you been doing there?

I was in Canada.
What were you doing there?

I went to Canada.
What did you do there?

 

[Barb_D]

Hello everyone, if it wasn't a school exercise, Can I use Present Perfect-Continuous?

I was in Canada.
What you have been doing there?

No. The time in Canada is now over. Present perfect (including continuous) is not appropriate.