The past simple over the present perfect in AE.

[metal56]

Is this a true statement?

Most Americans do not view eating or seeing a movie as an action that began in the past with results that continue into the present.

Lotus

[Lorikeet]

Is this a true statement?

Most Americans do not view eating or seeing a movie as an action that began in the past with results that continue into the present.

Lotus

I'd say most Americans don't sit around and think about whether or not using the present perfect is appropriate. Most people just speak. We are quite used to using the simple past with sentences that have "already" and "yet" in them. Things that will set Metal's teeth gnashing, like "I already ate." or "Did you eat yet?" There are other places where only the present perfect is appropriate, such as "I've been waiting for you for a long time." or "I've been here since 1995." I believe we *do* use present perfect in a lot of sentences. In particular, during a discussion of Paris, for example, I would be more apt to say, "Oh Paris--I've been there." than "Oh Paris--I went there." because of the immediacy of the discussion. I bet you can get 20 answers from 20 different speakers.

[metal56]

I'd say most Americans don't sit around and think about whether or not using the present perfect is appropriate. Most people just speak. We are quite used to using the simple past with sentences that have "already" and "yet" in them. Things that will set Metal's teeth gnashing, like "I already ate." or "Did you eat yet?" There are other places where only the present perfect is appropriate, such as "I've been waiting for you for a long time." or "I've been here since 1995." I believe we *do* use present perfect in a lot of sentences. In particular, during a discussion of Paris, for example, I would be more apt to say, "Oh Paris--I've been there." than "Oh Paris--I went there." because of the immediacy of the discussion. I bet you can get 20 answers from 20 different speakers.

So in the end, there's nothing systematic in the way American English speakers use the present perfect and past simple, right? Nothing teachable is available on that score.

[fluffyhamster]

Wow, that's a first, metal asking about (Objection! Just mentioning. Sustained? LOL) what's 'teachable' (oh, the irony! In several senses).

[metal56]

Wow, that's a first, metal asking about (Objection! Just mentioning. Sustained? LOL) what's 'teachable' (oh, the irony! In several senses).

You Tarzan?

[fluffyhamster]

Yes, me Tarzan. Lovely Lorikeet Jane.

[Anuradha Chepur]

It appears as though the Brits eat bad food and watch bad movies that haunt them and hence the present perfect, results continuing in the present etc.
Try tasty Indian food and interesting Bollywood movies.

[metal56]

It appears as though the Brits eat bad food and watch bad movies that haunt them and hence the present perfect, results continuing in the present etc.

That's true. Mind, most of our contemporary eating habits come from the USA.

Try tasty Indian food and interesting Bollywood movies.

Give me the former over the latter, anyday.

[lolwhites]

Try tasty Indian food

We have! Curry is rapidly replacing fish and chips as the national dish, mainly IMO because very few chip shops south of about York bother to make the latter properly

[metal56]

Try tasty Indian food

We have! Curry is rapidly replacing fish and chips as the national dish, mainly IMO because very few chip shops south of about York bother to make the latter properly

Nonsense! Lancashire chip shops are the best in Britain.

[lolwhites]

Nonsense! Lancashire chip shops are the best in Britain.

What are their curry houses like though?

[metal56]

Nonsense! Lancashire chip shops are the best in Britain.

What are their curry houses like though?

NW curry houses? Try The Curry Mile, Manchester.

[lolwhites]

I still say you can get a better fish and chips the other side of the Penines, Metal Best I ever had was a small chippy in Dentdale.

[metal56]

I still say you can get a better fish and chips the other side of the Penines, Metal Best I ever had was a small chippy in Dentdale.

Well, there's nowt so good as thi own. Try the chippy in Diggle, Saddleworth. Mind, Compos in Yorkshire is also good. Let's just say that northern chippys put the south and midlands chippys to shame.

[Anuradha Chepur]

What caught my attention was 'chip' used in the singular in the posts above, for me it is plural. I understand now from the dictionaries that 'chip' is North American, while 'chips' is Brit usage.