#1 I heard that Americans like Japanese.
#2 I have heard that Americans like Japanese.
2006-06-23 14:08:39 · 5 answers · asked by Black Dog 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
Sorry, Dakota and Sarah are mistaken. The use of the different tenses has nothing at all to do with who told me.
#1 is the PAST tense
#2 is the PRESENT PERFECT tense.
The first is used for something that took place at some definite point in the past. Thus you can add a specific time: "Last Thursday I heard." (You CANNOT say, "Last Thursday I have heard..." )
The second -- the present perfect-- is trickier to get. It is used for something that happened, or at least began at some "unspecified time" in the past. It's the form you're likely to use to emphasize that you have had this experience (of hearing such a report). You may use it when you want to say that it the experience took place several times, or even that it is continuing right up to the present.
(In other words "have heard" is vague NOT about the source, but about the TIME.)
For examples of these basic uses of the present perfect, one of more of these may help:
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfect.html
http://esl.about.com/library/grammar/blpresperfect.htm
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/upperf.htm
http://www.eclecticenglish.com/grammar/PresentPerfect1A.html
2006-06-23 15:01:51 · answer #1 · answered by bruhaha 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In this context, heard signifies that you yourself were told that. Have heard is more vague about the source. Obviously this is not a grammatical explanation, as the other responder gave, but as a native speaker I can tell you that this is how these two phrases would be understood by a native speaker.
P.S. I agree with Bruhaha technically (I was an English major), but what I'm saying is that this is how it is used in common speech.
2006-06-23 14:20:22 · answer #2 · answered by Dakota 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1)heard is an action that was finished
2) have heard is an action that has not end
2006-06-23 16:19:14 · answer #3 · answered by GG 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe, in English, this the differance between PAST and PAST PERFECT Tense.
2006-06-23 14:13:34 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Heard is you actually hearing.
Have heard is someone else telling you they heard it.
2006-06-23 14:13:31 · answer #5 · answered by sarozsi 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋