2 expectation and reality: You're older than I thought

We use a past tense to refer to a belief that has just been shown to be true or
false.
It's not as big as I expected, ( n o t . . . as I have expected.)
You’re older than I thought, ( n o t . . . than I have thought.)
But you prom ised . . . ! ( n o t But you have promised . . .)
I knew you would help me! ( n o t I have know n . . .)

3 today, this week, etc

With definite expressions of 'tim e up to now ’ (e.g. today, this week), perfect and
past tenses are often both possible. We prefer the present perfect if we are
thinking of the whole period up to now. We prefer the simple past if we are
thinking of a finished part of that period. Compare:
- I h a ve n’t seen Jack this week, (the whole week up to now - present perfect
m ore natural)
I saw Jack this week, and he said . . . (earlier in the week - sim ple past more
natural)
- Has A nna phoned today? (m eaning 'any tim e up to now ’)
D id Anna phone today? (m eaning ‘earlier, w hen the call was expected’)

4 always, ever and never

In an informal style, a simple past tense is som etim es possible with always, ever
and never w hen they refer to ‘tim e up to now’.
I alw ays knew I could trust you. ( o r I've always know n . . .)
D id you ever see anything like that before? ( o r Have you ever seen . . . ?)

5 present perfect with past time expressions

G ram m ars usually say that the present perfect cannot be used together with
expressions of finished tim e - we can say I have seen him or I saw him
yesterday, but not 1-have -seen him yesterday. In fact, such structures are unusual
but not im possible (though learners should avoid them ). They often occur in
brief news items, w here space is limited and there is pressure to announce the
news and give the details in the sam e clause.
Here are som e real examples taken from news broadcasts, new spaper articles,
advertisem ents, letters and conversations.
Police have arrested more than 900 suspected drugs traffickers in raids
throughout the country on Friday a n d Saturday.
A 24-year-old soldier has been killed in a road accident last night.
The horse's trainer has h ad a winner here yesterday.
. . . indicating that the geological activity has taken place a very long
tim e ago.
Perhaps what has helped us to win eight major awards last yea r alone . . .
I have stocked the infirmary cupboard only yesterday.
I am pleased to confirm that Lloyds Bank . . . has opened a Hom e Loan
account fo r you on 19th May.

gram m ar • 49 present perfect or past: advanced points