I was wondering when to use 'have' in a sentence like 'There has to be something we (have) missed'. I've looked only, but couldn't find a clear-cut answer.
A clear explanation would be greatly appreciated!
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1Your question is too broad. If you Google "present perfect (tense)", you will get millions of examples. – Jun 11 '16 at 16:55
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Related question. http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/57869/present-perfect-for-past-action-with-present-effect. You can search here, too. – Jun 11 '16 at 16:58
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Have is the marker for the present perfect tense, and as its name implies, it talks about completed past acton (that's the perfect part of the name) in the interval from some time in the past right up to the present or affecting the present. The past participle alone (here, missed) gives the simple past tense, which talks about past action without reference to the present. If your sentence severs the connection to the present, don't use the present perfect:
*We have found the answer last Saturday.
Likewise, if your sentence explicitly mentions the present, don't use the past tense:
*We found the answer by now.
If the present is neither excluded nor included, as in your sentence, then either tense is acceptable.
deadrat
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