What <have you had/did you have> for lunch? [Present perfect vs past simple] (2024)

“For lunch” counts as a specified time in the past (lunch-time). So only the simple past is possible.

If no past time is specified, use the present perfect: what have you eaten?

Present perfect talks about a time period that started in the past and ends now.
Simple past talks about a time period that started in the past and ended in the past.

The verb's action may cover that whole time period,
or the verb's action may occur during that time priod.

As post #2 says, "for lunch" implies a time period that has ended.

WoW, that stinks! What did you eat for lunch?
WoW, that stinks! What have you eaten for lunch?

Wow, that stinks! What have you eaten?

dojibear said:

Present perfect talks about a time period that started in the past and ends now.
Simple past talks about a time period that started in the past and ended in the past.

The verb's action may cover that whole time period,
or the verb's action may occur during that time priod.

As post #2 says, "for lunch" implies a time period that has ended.

WoW, that stinks! What did you eat for lunch?
WoW, that stinks! What have you eaten for lunch?

Wow, that stinks! What have you eaten?

Click to expand...

Thank you. I get it now. However, as you said, the action of eating started and finished in the past so how is the present perfect possible I.e "what have you eaten "?

Poland91pl said:

the action of eating started and finished in the past so how is the present perfect possible I.e "what have you eaten "?

Click to expand...

All past actions are in the past. All past actions live on in the present if we are discussing them in the present. The issue is whether the speaker is thinking primarily about the past or the present.

Poland91pl said:

However, as you said, the action of eating started and finished in the past so how is the present perfect possible I.e "what have you eaten "?

Click to expand...

That is true, but I did not say that. I said the action occurred during a time period that ends now.

The sentence "What have you eaten?" means "What did you eat during a time period that ends now?"

Forero said:

"What have you eaten?" is possible in the context given, but not very clear. I would choose between "What did you eat?" and "What have you been eating?", depending on what I meant.

Click to expand...

What have you been eating???

Wouldn't you say so if a person started eating on the past moment but was still eating now? That's weird...

Or maybe it's like that:
What have you eaten - single meal
What have you been eating- meals you've been eating the whole day?

I thought you use the present perfect continuous to emphasise that something happened in the past but is still valid is still going on like in : " I work for Xxx. Actually I've been working for them for 10 years now. " it means I'm still working.

I know you also use it for actions that finished. " I'm tired cuz I've been running " - I never get it . Why not "I'm tired I've run" and thus " what have you eaten" over "what have you been eating"?

Poland91pl said:

What have you been eating???

Wouldn't you say so if a person started eating on the past moment but was still eating now? That's weird...

Or maybe it's like that:
What have you eaten - single meal
What have you been eating- meals you've been eating the whole day?

I thought you use the present perfect continuous to emphasise that something happened in the past but is still valid is still going on like in : " I work for Xxx. Actually I've been working for them for 10 years now. " it means I'm still working.

I know you also use it for actions that finished. " I'm tired cuz I've been running " - I never get it . Why not "I'm tired I've run" and thus " what have you eaten" over "what have you been eating"?

Click to expand...

For me, "have eaten" and "have been eating" are never about eating now. And "I've been working" does not mean I'm still working. It is compatible with still working, but it is also compatible with no longer working.

I would ask "What have you been eating?" or "What did you have for lunch?" in the context given in #1.

Forero said:

For me, "have eaten" and "have been eating" are never about eating now. And "I've been working" does not mean I'm still working. It is compatible with still working, but it is also compatible with no longer working.

I would ask "What have you been eating?" or "What did you have for lunch?" in the context given in #1.

Click to expand...

So what's the difference between " what have you eaten " and "what have you been eating "?

Poland91pl said:

So what's the difference between " what have you eaten " and "what have you been eating "?

Click to expand...

The same as the difference between "What do you eat?" and "What are you eating?", but in the past up to now.

Forero said:

The same as the difference between "What do you eat?" and "What are you eating?", but in the past up to now.

Click to expand...

"What do you eat" a habitual action
What are you eating - now.

Are you sure I refer it to the perfect tenses?

Poland91pl said:

So what's the difference between " what have you eaten " and "what have you been eating "?

Click to expand...

I think the standard general reply is: the present perfect simple focuses on the present total or result; the present perfect continuous focuses on the continuation over a past period (that continued to the present period). However this is not the whole story in all cases: for example we can say It has been raining/snowing when observing puddles or snow on the ground, and we can say you have been eating cheese again when someone’s allergy flares up. I suppose here the emphasis is on the continuing nature of the past snow or rain, or on the continuing past unwillingness to take sensible dietary precautions, but I am not sure.

Poland91pl said:

"What do you eat" a habitual action
What are you eating - now.

Are you sure I refer it to the perfect tenses?

Click to expand...

"What have you eaten?" can be about an action you have taken habitually in the past, just as "What do you eat?" can be about an action you take habitually in the present.
"What have you been eating?" can be about an action in progress at one or more points of time in the past, just as "What are you eating?" can be about an action in progress at this particular moment.

"What have you eaten?" is not a wrong way to ask the same thing, but the first thing I think of with "What have you eaten?" is "What have you ever eaten?", which is not what you are trying to ask.

se16teddy said:

“For lunch” counts as a specified time in the past (lunch-time). So only the simple past is possible.
If no past time is specified, use the present perfect: what have you eaten?

Click to expand...

What about this:
What have you eaten for lunch (this month)?

Ivan_I said:

What have you eaten for lunch (this month)?

Click to expand...

Yes, that's fine, because "this month" isn't over.