Page 475 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

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expectation and reality: You're older than I thought
We use a past tense to refer to a belief that has just been shown to be true or false.
It's not as big as I expected. (NOT ••• m I httfffl ~peetef1.) You're older than I thought. (NOT ••• them .. httfffl thought.) But you promised . .. ! (NOT But 16ft httfffl promisetl ... f)
1 knew you would help me! (NOT .. httfffl k."own ...f)
today, this week etc
With definite expressions of 'time up to now' (e.g. today, this week), perfect and past tenses are often both possible. We prefer the present perfect if we are thinking of the whole period up to now. We prefer the simple past if we are thinking of a finished part of that period. Compare:
- I haven't seen John this week. (the whole week up to now - present perfect more natural)
I saw John this week, and he said . .. (earlier in the week - simple past more natural)
- Has Ann phoned today? (meaning 'any time up to now')
Did Ann phone today? (meaning 'earlier, when the call was expected')
always, ever and never
In an informal style, simple past tenses are sometimes possible with always, ever and never when they refer to 'time up to now'.
1 always knew I could trust you. (OR I've always known . ..)
Did you ever see anything like that before? (OR Have you ever seen ...n
present perfect with past time expressions
Grammars usually say that the present perfect cannot be used together with expressions of finished time - we can say 1 have seen him or 1 saw him yesterday, but not { httfffl seen him yesterdtty. In fact, such structures are unusual but not impossible (though learners should avoid them). They often occur in brief news items, where space is limited and there is pressure to announce the news and give the details in the same clause.
Here are some real examples taken from news broadcasts, newspaper articles, advertisements, letters and conversations.
Police have arrested more than 900 suspected drugs traffickers in raids throughout the country on Friday and Saturday.
. . . a runner who's beaten Linford Christie earlier this year.
A 24-year-old soldier has been killed in a road accident last night.
The horse's trainer has had a winner here yesterday.
. .. indicating that the geological activity has taken place a very long
time ago.
Perhaps what has helped us to win eight major awards last year alone . .. 1 have stocked the infirmary cupboard only yesterday.
I am pleased to confirm that Lloyds Bank . .. has opened a Home Loan
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present perfect (3): perfect or past (advanced points) 457
account for you on 19th May.
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