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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > PRESENT PERFECT OR PAST SIMPLE?
PRESENT PERFECT OR PAST SIMPLE?
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helenarechena
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PRESENT PERFECT OR PAST SIMPLE?
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Hi everyone, my question is: in a "fill in the blanks exercise" is it acceptable to say:
"she is eager for her holidays because her father _______(promise) to buy her a bike."
has promised or promised ?????
I know the right one is "has promised" but should I grade "promised" as admissible???
TY  |
15 Sep 2010
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ambota
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Hello
in my opinion, even though the most correct is the "present progressive" because the past is connected to the present and is not important when the "bike" was promised, you should also accept the simple past as the context is not clear about the time when the action took place but rather that the action happened in the past. In the past, her father promised to buy her a bike that is why she eager to start her holidays.
I hope that I contributed to a clearer mind and not the opposite
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15 Sep 2010
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Kate (kkcat)
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IMHO �promised � is possible here. At least this is acceptable in AmE.
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15 Sep 2010
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pilarmham
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I think "has promised" is the correct answer. It doesn �t matter when the promise was made, it �s probably recent and certainly still valid. Time doesn �t matter. |
15 Sep 2010
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douglas
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Obviously "has promised" is a better answer, but I would accept "promised" as well. |
15 Sep 2010
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Olindalima ( F )
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Hi dear Helena
First of all, all these "silly " grammar exercise are usually taken out of context, which leads to several approaches.
May I ask this:
Has she got the bike . or not?
If, she got the bike, the action of promissing a bike was in the past and , now, it �s finished - simple past.
If there was apromise of a bike / reward and the poor one still doesn �t have a bike, well, the action / the promisse comes from the past until the present, but the action is not YET finished . present perfect.
My opinion, these grammar exercises have to be handled as eggs, without a context, everything is OK. Both sentences are correct, grammar speaking.
Hope I have given my two cents : )
Kisses
Linda
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16 Sep 2010
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lolelozano
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IMHO I would say "promised" as it is something that you did in the past / the promise itself. The act of promising is already finished. the promise comes from the past until the present, yes I agree but the action of promising has already finished as well.
That�s my idea - 
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16 Sep 2010
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PhilipR
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Both are correct, although I would go for the present perfect (has promised) because of the lack of a time marker.
Linda, it is clear she hasn �t received the bike yet. The promise was made in the past yet refers to an action in the future. Indeed, the act of promising took place in the past, but the result (buying a bike) hasn�t taken place yet.
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16 Sep 2010
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Zora
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As was pointed out before by Douglas, Phillip, Linda, Kate... both are acceptable. We really don�t have a clear time frame for the sentence and because of this, I�d have picked (for my own usage) the Present Perfect BUT the Past is totally acceptable here too.
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16 Sep 2010
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