Meaning of appoint

[Guest]

but i everywhere hear saying fo example "i left school" or "i dumped my girlfriend" even if the time isn't important.why?

[Yankee]

Hi Harry

I think I answered that question on June 6 (at least partially). The "rule" that applies to this particular usage of the present perfect is often completely ignored by American speakers of English. (If you want to know how many British speakers of English also ignore this "rule", we'll have to hope that Alan answers. ) In American English, simple past tense is often used for anything that can be seen as a finished action, no matter whether it's "recently finished, but with an effect on the present" or not.

The present perfect is often used when a topic is mentioned for the very first time (simply to establish that it has happened at some time before now.) As soon as you start talking about further details of this past event, then the conversation will always change to the past tense.

Your examples don't have enough context for me to be able to explain to you exactly why the person used the simple past tense or didn't use the present perfect, but let's look at an example:

If somebody asks you: What did you do last week?
You answer: I dumped my girlfriend.

The finished time in the past has already been clearly stated in the question. Therefore you must answer using the past tense.

A simple past tense sentence does not always have a time in it. Everything depends on the context of the conversation or text.

If these answers don't help, then maybe one of the others will add some information for you.

Amy

[Guest]

if i am talking with my friends and i say: i duumped my girlfriend
or i say: i broke up with my girlfriend...are them right? would have you used another one time. sorry for all this question but i am really worried about this grammar rule

[Guest]

where i heard "the court has appointed me your public defender" the public defender comes and tells it to a person

[Guest]

isn't it right if while talking with someone i say:"i stopped play tennis"? Or i have to use"i have stopped playing tennis"

[Guest]

please can somebody answer to my questions?

[Guest]

an english person what would have used?