[Grammar] Why do you have his money?

[Gunner1999]

- What the hell? Why do you have his money?
- I've stolen it.
- How much did you take?
- € 5.000.
- Have you killed him?
- No, I haven't.
The President of Ireland has opened a new stadium in Dublin. It cost plenty of money but it was worth it. Ireland has played the first match here against the Netherlands. The hosts won 2-1.
Is everything OK?

 

[englishhobby]

What is your question?

 

[Gunner1999]

My question is, whether the tenses, which I used are correct.

 

[englishhobby]

You should write your question in the original post.

 

[Rover_KE]

It's there in the OP, but I'm not surprised you missed it because of the congested format.

Is everything OK?

Gunner, whatever colour you were trying to use, please don't; black is just fine.

 

[Tdol]

- I've stolen it.

How long ago?

 

[englishhobby]

How long ago?

Do you mean the present perfect doesn't work here?

 

[emsr2d2]

Do you mean the present perfect doesn't work here?

I see no reason for it there.

Why do you have his money?
I stole it.

 

[Tdol]

Do you mean the present perfect doesn't work here?

Not necessarily, but the timing makes a difference.

 

[Gunner1999]

All right. But the present perfect shows the result of this action, doesn't it? I want to empathise that I have some money, due to stealing it. Also I would like to show that this man is dead now.

 

[emsr2d2]

- Why do you have his money?
- I stole it.
- How much did you take?
- €5000.
- Did you kill him?
- Yes.

 

[Gunner1999]

Let me ask you a question. If we start a conversation by asking why there's something, should we always use the past simple then? Why is the present perfect excluded in this example?Thanks.

 

[emsr2d2]

I don't know what you mean by "asking why there's something".

The answer to any "Why" question depends on context.

- Why did you decide on France for your summer holiday?
- Because I have never been there before.

- Why do you have his money?
- [Because] I stole it.

- Why have you bought new trainers?
- Because I'm playing tennis next Tuesday.

 

[Tdol]

I want to empathise that I have some money, due to stealing it. Also I would like to show that this man is dead now.

You could say that you have stolen his money and killed him if there is a connections to the present time; if you are standing next to his corpse or have his blood on your hands, the present perfect would work.

 

[Rover_KE]

[STRIKE]empathise[/STRIKE] emphasise