Question
Hi Anna, We're in New York! We got here four days ago and have seen lots of things. on Tuesday wey visited the statue of Liberty and on Wednesday wewent shopping. Thave been to Macy's department store, finally! Wehave had some great food. Last night we, ate at a vietnamese restaurant. Itwas great. Today wehave visited MOMA, the modern art museum. It has been a wonderful trip. Love, Harry have seen (1) have been (1) have had (1) have been (1) have visited PAST SIMPLE got (1) Went (1) visited (1) ate (1) was
Solution
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(229 Votes)
Savannah
Elite ยท Tutor for 8 years
Answer
Harry's letter uses the present perfect tense to describe actions that started in the past and continue to have relevance in the present (his ongoing trip). He then switches to the past simple to talk about completed actions at specific times in the past. Here's a breakdown showing the corrections and why the past simple is used:**PRESENT PERFECT to PAST SIMPLE*** **have seen:** This refers to seeing many things throughout the trip so far. It remains relevant to the present moment of him writing the letter. No change needed if emphasizing the ongoing nature of the sightseeing. However, if listing a specific instance of seeing something, past simple would be appropriate.* **have been (to Macy's):** This refers to the experience of going to Macy's at some point during the trip up to now. No change needed if emphasizing the fact that he's now been there. However, if referring to the specific trip to Macy's on Wednesday, past simple would be appropriate.* **have had:** This refers to the experience of having great food throughout the trip. No change needed if emphasizing the ongoing enjoyment of good food.* **have been (a wonderful trip):** This refers to the trip's wonderful nature up to the present moment. No change needed.* **have visited:** This refers to visiting MOMA earlier today. Change to **visited**. The visit is a completed action in the past.**Corrected Past Simple Verbs (already correct in Harry's letter):*** **got:** Correct. Arrival in New York is a completed action.* **went:** Correct. Shopping occurred on Wednesday.* **visited:** Correct. Visiting the Statue of Liberty occurred on Tuesday.* **ate:** Correct. Eating at the Vietnamese restaurant occurred last night.* **was:** Correct. Describing the restaurant last night.