Police have caught vs. police caught the criminal

[Whoami412]

Police caught the dangerous criminal.
Police have caught the dangerous criminal.

They were hunting wild boars all evening.
They have been hunting wild boars all evening.

Are those sentences correct ?
Are those sentences have the same meaning ?
If not, can anyone tell me what are the differences ?

Thanks in advance.

Please correct me if I have made any mistake.

[Mister Micawber]

Are those sentences correct? -- Yes. But do not leave any space between the last letter of a sentence and the ending punctuation.
Are those sentences have the same meaning?-- Essentially, yes.
If not, can anyone tell me what are the differences?-- The first indicates the simple observation of a past action. The 2nd connects that action with NOW in some way: perhaps it is very recent or it affects the speaker's present feelings, for instance.
_________________
Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's

[Whoami412]

Thanks Mister Micawber.
If I want to say something that happened but it is not very recent without mention a specified time.
Can I use simple perfect tense?

[Mister Micawber]

Perhaps. Can you give us an example of what you have in mind?
_________________
Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's

[Whoami412]

I think I give another example will be better.

Alexander Graham Bell invented a phone in 1876.

This happened long time ago, but if I don't want to mention the year (in 1876),
Can I write Alexander Graham Bell has invented a phone?
If I write Alexander Graham Bell invented a phone, is it correct?

Correct me If I have made mistake.

[Alan]

Hi Whoami412,

Just one additional point to what Mister Micawber has already told you -you need to say:Do those sentences have the same meaning?

On the other question you are talking about a past factual event and you need to say: Alexander Graham Bell invented the phone. If you said 'has invented', that would suggest that this is a recent invention and a recent piece of news.

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Whoami412]

Thanks for the explanation.
If an event is not recent, simple past tense is more suitable to be used. Am I correct ?
May I know how are and do should be used in a question ?

[Alan]

Hi,

I would stress that the simple past is used when you know the event happened at a definite time in the past. On the other point -in questions 'is/are' is used with the continuous verb forms and 'do/does' is used for the simple verb forms as in

Do you go to work eaxh day? Present Simple

Are you going to work today? Present Continuous

Alan
_________________
English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Progressive Forms

[Whoami412]

OK, I have got it.
Thanks a lot.