Terry,


Yes, I forgot to add that the fact was in the past. But I thought that this was implied ( I had, I have had )

Taken out 'Intermediate English Practice' book (old schoolbook) and I shall quote from there since that is what I meant to say, and the quote expresses it far better

The Present Perfect Tense is a present tense. It is used for an action which began in the past and which has continued up to the time of speaking, or for an action which took place in the past, the results of which we can feel or observe in the present
(the consequences)

The Simple Past Tense is used for an action which took place in the past and is complete by the time of speaking
( the fact )


Allez, bonsoir
___________________________________________
>Gregory
>>
>>I had to stop = just a fact
>
>Not really - it happened in the past e.g "I had to stop last Tuesday as I ran out of petrol".
>>
>>I have had to stop = fact + there are consequences of that fact in the present
>
>Not necessarily - generally it has just happened (comme "venir de"), e.g. "I have had to stop as I've got no petrol".
>>
>>I broke my leg = fact
>
>In the past e.g."I broke my leg when I fell last Tuesday"
>
>>
>>I have broken my leg = fact + consequence: eg cannot drive my car
>
>Again (after just jumping from a high wall) "Help me up. I've broken my leg".
>
>>
>>F said : I have had to stop and return to Paris. Consequence in the present: now living in Paris
>>
>
>I think he meant I had to stop (because my work was finished). The other would imply that you're asking him why he's doing nothing.
>
>>Merci pour l'édification >>> Merci pour l'éducation
>
>Non, j'ai voulu dire "édification", dans le sense anglais (peut-etre different en francais), comme "éclaircissement"
>
>salut
>
>Terry
>>