She phoned me 5 min ago

[JaneGothic]

Most textbooks write that we use present perfect for recent events. However, in the sentence "She phoned me 5 min ago" the action is recent, but still we use past simple. So what is implied by "recent events" when using present perfect?

 

[emsr2d2]

The present perfect is never used with "ago". It's nothing to do with how recent the event is. It's a nice easy rule to remember - always use the past simple (or continuous) with "ago".

I did it five minutes ago.
She went to Thailand thirty years ago.
He had a heart attack six months ago.

 

[teechar]

Most textbooks write that we can use present perfect for recent events.

Note the "can" I inserted. The present perfect is one choice for recent events, but it's not the only one.

However, in the sentence "She phoned me 5 min ago" the action is recent, but still we use past simple.

The present perfect is not used when we give a specific time marker.

So what is implied by "recent events" when using present perfect?

If the present perfect is used in such scenarios, it's typically to indicate that although the action/event is in the past, its relevance/significance continues/spills over into the present.

For example,
A weather emergency has been declared in all areas south of the Humber. [ The declaration is over, but its importance continues into the present.