1 The present perfect can never be used with adverbs which describe finished time periods, such as yesterday, five minutes ago and at three o'clock. If a time adverb is used with the present perfect, it should describe a time period which is unfinished.
Table 5
Time Adverbs | |
Unfinished Time | Finished Time |
today | yesterday |
this week | last week |
this year | last year |
this morning* | this morning* |
this afternoon* | this afternoon* |
this evening | - |
during the last two years | during the summer |
since I left school | before I saw you |
- | at six o'clock |
- | when I met him. |
- | five minutes ago |
ever | - |
just | - |
Also use the past simple, even with an adverb of unfinished time, if the action can no longer happen:
I went to the shops today. (But the shops are now closed...)2 Past simple is used with a definite place for an event because this may suggest a definite time:
I left my bag on the train.
Why didn't you speak to my father yourself on the boat?
Did you see him at the theatre? (= when you were at the theatre? You are not at the theatre now)
I ran into her in Oxford Street. (= when I was in Oxford Street)
Where have you been? - I've been to the opera. - Did you enjoy it? (you are not at the opera now)
3 Similarly, it is the Past Indefinite that is used in questions introduced by when.