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Reporting Source

jeans
Where did you get those jeans?

Telling source or emotional impact

 

 

 

 

 

Reporting Source vs. Duration
PAST – SOURCE / INFORMATION PRESENT PERFECT – DURATION / RECENCY

Use past tense to focus on  who, what, where, why, how or the origin of something.

Use present perfect to focus on an aspect of time: the duration or the recency of the activity.  (for the past few hours, recently, so far)

Where did you go?

I went shopping. (seeking information)

Where have you been?

We have been shopping. (for the past few hours)

What did you buy?

I bought some jeans.

What have you bought?

I've just bought some new shoes. (recently)

Where did you get those jeans?

I got them at the Gap.

What brands have you worn?

I've worn Levi's and Gap. (so far)

What are they made of?
 

They are made of denim.

What have you sold this year?

We've mostly sold Levi Jeans. (so far)

recency (n.) – being recent
seek (v.) – asking for

 

 

 

 

 

Past Completed

Hip Hop dancer doing flipReporting an Emotional Response

 

 

 

Emotional Response vs. Experience
PAST PRESENT PERFECT

Use the past tense for an emotional response, in which it is more urgent to tell what happened than how long or howmany times. 

Use the present perfect tense when relating the importance of time: how long, how many times.  (duration and repetition of activity)

Wow! Look at him. ! He just did a backflip. (amazement)

He has done a backflip. (indefinite past)
(previous or recent experience; perhaps, said to a gym coach with a checklist)

Mom!  Johnny hit me.  (outrage)

Johnny has hit me.  (indefinite past)
(previous or recent experience; perhaps, said to a judge in a divorce court)

His car ran into the back of mine!  (shock)

*His car has run  into the back of mine.
(unlikely to be used as either previous or recent experience - incorrect)

 

 

 

Common Mistakes
ERRORS FIX  

Where did you go on vacation?    We have been to the beach this summer. incorrect

 

We went to the beach this summer.  (focus is on activity)

We have been to the beach recently. (focus is a recent time)

We have been vacationing at the beach this summer. (forcus is time – ongoing)

(If we are still at the beach, use present perfect progressive with "this summer". If we are talking about a recently completed trip, use past tense, or use present perfect with the adverb "recently".)
 

Where did you get that?    I have bought it at the bakery.

I bought it at the bakery.  (Emphasis on where.  Use past tense for reporting source or origin.)

 Solution - lightbulb    Pop-Q – "Source"

 

 

 

Practice

Past Tense vs. Present Perfect

 

 

 

  1. Select the response that best completes the sentence.
  2. An asterisk (*) indicates an incorrect answer. 
# CHECK ANSWER SELECT RESPONSE
1. A man looking at a birdLook at that bird! 
2.
3. present
4. reindeer sweater
5. cat
6.

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