What's happened? I've fallen into a puddle

[Alexey86]

I would say:

Oh my gosh! I just realized that I left my wallet at home.

I'm confused. Isn't the fact that I left my wallet at home highly relevant at the moment of speaking? Now, I have to go back home to take the wallet and go to the store again.

That's a good example situation, yes. The present perfect is ideally suited there.

What verb would you use in the present perfect: "realize", "leave", or both?

 

[jutfrank]

I'm confused. Isn't the fact that I left my wallet at home highly relevant at the moment of speaking? Now, I have to go back home to take the wallet and go to the store again.

Tarheel's use of past simple there is I believe a sign that he grew up speaking American English. For reasons that I've never properly understood, many American speakers tend not to use the present perfect when it seems ideal. Don't let it confuse you.

What verb would you use in the present perfect: "realize", "leave", or both?

Both, though leave is more ideally suited, for reasons we've been discussing.

 

[Alexey86]

What verb would you use in the present perfect: "realize", "leave", or both?

I think I should've used which.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Tarheel's use of past simple there is I believe a sign that he grew up speaking American English. For reasons that I've never properly understood, many American speakers tend not to use the present perfect when it seems ideal. Don't let it confuse you. . . .

That's right. Don't. It never confuses us!

In the US of A, and in that particular context, "I left my wallet at home" and "I've left my wallet at home" would both be correct and would mean the same thing.

 

[Alexey86]

Should I use the past simple if I change my first context like this:
Dad comes home muddy.
Son: (looking at him) "Did you fall into a puddle?"
'
I see the following difference: "Did you fall into a puddle?" (= just a guess) vs "Have you fallen into a puddle?" (= "I'm quite sure" = ''You must've fallen into a puddle")

 

[jutfrank]

Should I use the past simple if I change my first context like this:
Dad comes home muddy.
Son: (looking at him) "Did you fall into a puddle?"

Yes, that's fine.

I see the following difference: "Did you fall into a puddle?" (= just a guess) vs "Have you fallen into a puddle?" (= "I'm quite sure" = ''You must've fallen into a puddle")

Okay. Well, there isn't anything about the verb tenses in themselves that creates this difference that you see. I'm guessing that the difference you see arises from the particular way you're imagining the situation, including the particular way you're imagining the son asking the question.