1.4.7 Past simple and present perfect contrasted




Basically, the present perfect relates to the fact that something has happened (irrespective of when), where as the past simple relates to when it happened. Consequently, if there is a specific time phrase (including the question word When), we use the past simple, not the present perfect, e.g.:



A: When did they arrive? (¿Cuándo llegaron? O ¿cuándo han llegado?)
B: They arrived ten minutes ago/last week/on the 4th of May.
(Han llegado hace 10 minutos./Llegaron la semana pasada/el 4 de mayo.)
Compare:
C: Have they arrived yet? (¿Ya han llegado?)
D: Yes, they've just arrived. (Sí, acaban de llegar.)

If there is no explicit time mentioned, the present perfect suggests a recent event; the past simple a more remote one. For example, if someone notices that cold air has started to come into the house, they would say:



Who's opened a window?
(¿Quién ha abierto una ventana?)


But if they come home and the house is cold because the windows are open, they would say:



Who opened the windows?
(¿Quién abrió las ventanas?)

In contrast to Spanish, today, this morning and this afternoon do not necessarily require the present perfect, e.g.:


At 12 midday we would say:



A: What did you have for breakfast? (¿Qué has comido para almorzar?)
 B: I had toast and marmalade. (He comido tostadas con mermelada para almorzar.)

During the morning we would say:



C: What have you done this morning? (¿Qué has hecho esta mañana?)
 D: I've cleaned my room. (He limpiado mi habitación.)

But in the afternoon we would say:



E: What did you do this morning? (¿Qué has hecho esta mañana?)
 F: I cleaned my room. (He limpiado mi habitación.)

Similarly, during the afternoon we would say:


How many clients have you visited this afternoon?
(¿Cuántos clientes has vistado esta tarde?)

But after the end of the working day we would say:



How many clients did you visit this afternoon?
(¿Cuántos clientes has vistado esta tarde?)




See also past simple, present perfect simple.