Present perfect or past simple

[Tom Nguyen]

Could you explain to me which sentence is correct ? and why ? We have to use present perfect or past simple.

Have you heard what ........ today ?

1. happened

2. has happened

Maybe it depends on the moment we say

Thank you

[Pamela]

Hi Tom NGUYEN,

If I were you I would choose 'happened', as the sequence of events is clear. Present perfect with time expressions is used when the period is not over.
Exampel: I have done my homework today( this means that the action took place, for instance, in the morning and is ( the morning) not over yet.

[Molly]

Subjectively, "today" is over if you use the past simple there.

If you want to compare events of the day of speaking with a previous day, you might want to use the present perfect because you may be referring to an ongoing process.

e.g

Yesterday, they barricaded the streets. Have you heard what's happened today?

[Yankee]

Hi Tom NGUYEN

You can use either the simple past tense or the present perfect in that sentence. The choice depends largely on the speaker's point of view and the broader context.

- Simple past tense: The speaker is simply thinking about a completed activity/event that took place at an earlier point in time today.

- Present perfect: The speaker is looking at a past event or series of past events that have already taken place today, and these events are viewed as having some sort of direct influence on or connection to now (the time of speaking).

To me, the simple past tense would be the more commonly used tense for a sentence such as yours.
.
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[Tom Nguyen]

Thank you very much Pamela, Molly and Yankee. you are very kind :) I understand now. This is the first time i have joined this forum. your help get me motivated.

Have a good week :x