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Example:

I'm calling Peter at work at 9:00 this morning. He isn't answering, and the only way for me to call him is at work.

At 10:00 in the morning, I finish my work, as usual. I leave my business phone at the desk.

At 11:00 in the morning, I'm meeting my friend and tell him:

I didn't call Peter this morning.

or

I haven't called Peter this morning.

Considering it's still "this morning", the present perfect should be used, but since I'm not going to call Peter this morning again, as I left my phone at the office, there is no chance for me to call Peter again, so which tense should be used? The past simple or present perfect?

This is what books say:

If we think of this morning (etc.) as a past completed time period, then we use the past simple; if we think of this morning (etc), as a time period which includes the present moment, then we use the present perfect.

I didn’t shave this morning. ( = The morning is over and I didn’t shave)

I haven’t shaved this morning. ( = It is still the morning and I might shave later).

Fae
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1 Answers1

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So many nuances, wow. Listen:

You dialed Peter's number. So you did call him. He didn't pick up the phone: that's a separate issue.

Suppose you and Peter had a bit of a falling out, though. And you really didn't call him earlier. You just didn't. Period.

There's nothing particularly wrong with saying "this morning" because it's still "this morning," you could say:

I didn't call Peter earlier.

If, however, you plan to call him before noon, you could say:

I haven't called Peter yet.

Saying "I haven't called Peter this morning" would imply that you still intend to call him before noon, and also that you're in the habit of calling him every morning. Which would be kind of weird. If you know what I mean.

I hope this helps.

Ricky
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  • No, I disagree about the last point: it would imply you still intend to call him before noon, sure. But it doesn't imply that you're in the habit, just that there might be an expectation that you were going to call him this morning. A habit would be one reason for that expectation, but another might be that you had agreed to call him this morning, or that somebody has just asked you if you did. – Colin Fine Feb 01 '16 at 13:46