Present Perfect or Past SImple Paradox

Question

We can say:

I have done it today

though the action itself coulp happen in the morning but we cover it with a longer peiod which hasn't ended yet.

If it happened in the morning but now it's already evening, we use Past Simple because the period itself is already over (the morning is over):

I did it in the morning

But what happens if we combine them altogether?:

I did it today in the morning

OR

I have done it today in the morning

I have done it this morning: YES. I have done it today in the morning: NO — Lambie, Apr 06 '19 at 13:44
So even if we have two time points: the first one hasn't been over yet (today) but the second has (in the morning) Past Simple wins here anyway? — Michael Azarenko, Apr 06 '19 at 13:46
Like, two time momets: not the ended one - today and the ended one - morning. I guess the ended one wins — Michael Azarenko, Apr 06 '19 at 13:50
*There are not two moments in time*. There is the time called the time of speaking about the past. It is the time of speaking that defines the past. I was very careful about this answer, which, unfortunately, has been downvoted and the main point of which you have failed to acknowledge. It's interesting that no one else tackled it. I wonder why.... — Lambie, Apr 08 '19 at 14:59

Lambie · Answer 1 · 2023-05-05T14:29:33.287

0

I did it today in the morning.

[nothing is combined here. There is one finished action that occurred in the morning]

Did is past, and in the morning tells us when in the past the thing was done.

"I did it today in the morning." is okay but awkward.

In the morning, in the evening, yesterday, last week, last year all call for the simple past in most cases. They are actually simple past triggers.

I did it today, this morning. OR [the morning is finished]
I have done it this morning. [it is still morning]

And today is in apposition to this morning, not a trigger.

Please note: there are not two moments of time. There is the time of speaking. The time when the speaker utters an utterance or writes a sentence. It is the intended meaning of the speaker that defines her relationship to what happened in the past.

edited May 05 '23 at 14:29

answered Apr 06 '19 at 14:03

Lambie

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If it is now evening, can you say "I did it this morning", meaning the morning of the same day? – anouk Apr 06 '19 at 21:33
@anouk Of course. – Lambie Apr 06 '19 at 21:34
@Lambie Please explain how your last comment is compatible with your previous “…signaled by this.” – Anton Sherwood Apr 06 '19 at 21:42
I wish that d.v.-ters would provide an argument. So many people just don't know the grammar. – Lambie Apr 07 '19 at 13:45
@anouk What is incorrect is; I have done it this morning. This is a typical English mistake by French speakers in English. – Lambie Apr 07 '19 at 15:51
@Lambie "What is incorrect is; I have done it this morning." That is not incorrect if it is still morning, you say so yourself in your answer. – anouk May 14 '22 at 19:28
Yes, if it is still morning. – Lambie May 14 '22 at 20:36

Present Perfect or Past SImple Paradox

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