I've studied/I studied History ?

[ph2004]

What's correct : "I've studied History" or "I studied History", when you want to tell that you('ve) studied History in the past ? Or are both correct ?

 

[dstracted]

I have found a site just perfect in using present perfect vs simple past tenses.
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/ppvpast.htm

cheers

 

[sarat_106]

What's correct : "I've studied History" or "I studied History", when you want to tell that you('ve) studied History in the past ? Or are both correct ?

Use present perfect when you do not want to give a specific past time reference. With a past time reference use simple past, you can say;
I studied history two years back while continuing my studies in collage.

 

[emsr2d2]

Yes, the timescale is important.

I've studied history = a general statement of fact.
I studied history at university = a specific time when you studied that subject.

 

[thatone]

NOT A TEACHER

Both are correct in American English.

 

[2006]

Yes, the timescale is important.

I've studied history = a general statement of fact. So is 'I studied history.'

a question, not only for emsr2d2

A. How come you know so much about the Habsburgs?
B. I've studied (European) history. or I studied (European) History. ??

 

[philadelphia]

What's correct : "I've studied History" or "I studied History", when you want to tell that you('ve) studied History in the past ? Or are both correct ?

*Not a teacher

Both are correct in that context, so picking up either "have studied" or "studied" would look like a matter of style. In some other situations, it could do matter.

In the following example, however, only the present perfect works: "I have lived in London so far, and I'm currently moving to Paris" meaning you lived in london in the past and till now but you stop living in London from now on. Do not forget that have is in the present form and lived in the past form, so they are gathered into the have lived form (present perfect), which links the past and the present!

 

[cubezero3]

a question, not only for emsr2d2

A. How come you know so much about the Habsburgs?
B. I've studied (European) history. or I studied (European) History. ??

I would explain to the questioner that I've studied history.

However, not very long ago someone mentioned that it's equally acceptable to use the simple past tense in such a contexted in AmE.

I do remember that was a fairly lenthy thread with people devided into to groups arguing with each other.

 

[2006]

I would explain to the questioner that I've studied history.

However, not very long ago someone mentioned that it's equally acceptable to use the simple past tense in such a context[STRIKE]ed[/STRIKE] in AmE.
I gather that you are somewhat surprised that simple past tense, no matter in what kind of English, would be "equally acceptable".

I am interested in knowing why you prefer "I've studied....".

2006

 

[cubezero3]

2006

I suppost I was, to a certain extent, infuenced by a previous thread, in which you and Raymott disagreed with each other.

Your mother knows you had some homework to do this evening, and it is getting closer to your bedtime.

She can say 'Did you do your homework?' or 'Have you done your homework?'

I agree. The simple past is used in this context in parts of North America by some people.
Elsewhere, the present perfect is almost invariably used for sentences of this type.

https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/119674-have-had-did.html

I was having a discussion with my students as to the difference between the two tenses that day and used the thread as an example to show that nativer speakers, in real world, hold different opinions on this matter. So It did strength the impression that people, on many occasions, use the two tenses interchangeably in AmE.

Apart from that, this is what I was taught at school. Present perfect is used when people talk about things that happened in the past and have a present influence, so grammar books claim.

The reason I would tell people that I've studied history is that I am speaking of my current knowledge of Habsburgs by introducing a fact that something was done in the past.

Then again, I am probably just quating an example of a statement with which you disagree.

Honestly, I don't know if there is a real difference between the present perfect tense and the simple past tense or not, dispite all these years of self-studying and all I've heard and read.

 

[2006]

I suppost I was, to a certain extent, infuenced by a previous thread, in which you and Raymott disagreed with each other.
Apart from that, this is what I was taught at school. Present perfect is used when people talk about things that happened in the past and have a present influence, so grammar books claim. But the fact is that simple past works just as well in sentences such as the one being discussed in this thread. There is absolutely no good reason for saying that simple past can't be used when there is a present influence.
The only way simple past can be 'wrong' is if one arbitrarily defines it as being wrong in this context. That's exactly what some people who are very fond of perfect tense have done.

The reason I would tell people that I've studied history is that I am speaking of my current knowledge of Habsburgs by introducing a fact that something was done in the past. (my underling)
Since something was done in the past, why in the world would anyone think that simple past would be not as good as present perfect?

Then again, I am probably just quating an example of a statement with which you disagree.

Honestly, I don't know if there is a real difference between the present perfect tense and the simple past tense or not, In some sentences there is, but in many there is no difference at all except for the present perfect having an unnecessary word. dispite all these years of self-studying and all I've heard and read.
All you can do is decide for yourself.
Contrary to what Raymott suggested in the thread you reference, I am not the only one who thinks simple past is at least as good as present perfect in sentences such as the one in this thread.

2006