# There's just one place left where I didn't look.



## Espléndido

Hi, I want to translate the following phrase:

'Sólo queda un sitio donde no busqué'

My try:

"There's just one place left where I didn't look."

Is it correct? Does it sound natural?

Gracias!


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## Lavernock

Espléndido said:


> Hi, I want to translate the following phrase:
> 
> 'Sólo queda un sitio donde no busqué'
> 
> My try:
> 
> "There's just one place left where I didn't look."
> 
> Is it correct? Does it sound natural?
> 
> Gracias!



There is just one place where *I haven't looked.*


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## blasita

Lavernock said:


> There is just one place where *I haven't looked.*



I agree.

But in Spanish I´d also prefer "no he buscado/no he mirado", so I wonder if this is one of those differences between BrE and AmE (present perfect vs past simple).  I´m not sure this is the case here.

Saludos.


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## donbill

blasita said:


> I agree.
> 
> But in Spanish I´d also prefer "no he buscado/no he mirado", so I wonder if this is one of those differences between BrE and AmE (present perfect vs past simple).  I´m not sure this is the case here.
> 
> Saludos.



I don't think it's a difference between BrE and AmE. I think it has to do with context and chronology.

_I've been looking for something all morning. There's just one place that I haven't looked, and I'm going to look there now._

_I looked for something all day yesterday. There's just one place that I didn't look [yesterday], and I'm going to look there now.

_Saludos


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## blasita

donbill said:


> I don't think it's a difference between BrE and AmE. I think it has to do with context and chronology.
> 
> _I've been looking for something all morning. There's just one place that I haven't looked, and I'm going to look there now._
> 
> _I looked for something all day yesterday. There's just one place that I didn't look [yesterday], and I'm going to look there now.
> 
> _Saludos



OK, thanks.  But I know there´s a difference; I just can´t find the context. And I know it´s the same in Spanish.

What I mean is that Espléndido wrote "no busqué" and translated it: "didn´t look" (past simple), but Lavernock translated it: "haven´t looked" (present perfect). And without further context, I think this might be a difference between BrE and AmE.

Saludos.


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## donbill

blasita said:


> What I mean is that Espléndido wrote "no busqué" and translated it: "didn´t look" (past simple), but Lavernock translated it: "haven´t looked" (present perfect). And without further context, I think this might be a difference between BrE and AmE.



I don't think so!
Here's a follow-up to my previous observation:

I would almost unconsciously say* "I haven't looked" *rather than*"I didn't look"* because it seems to be an ongoing situation for me. The item is still lost, so I *haven't stopped* looking for it. But, if I wanted to limit my looking totally to the past (yesterday, last week, etc.), I might well say *"There's just one place I didn't look."

*If I were to add the adverb 'still' to the context, I'm almost certain to say *"There's just one place I still haven't looked."
*


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## blasita

donbill said:


> I don't think so!
> Here's a follow-up to my previous observation:
> 
> I would almost unconsciously say* "I haven't looked" *rather than*"I didn't look"* because it seems to be an ongoing situation for me. The item is still lost, so I *haven't stopped* looking for it. But, if I wanted to limit my looking totally to the past (yesterday, last week, etc.), I might well say *"There's just one place I didn't look."
> 
> *If I were to add the adverb 'still' to the context, I'm almost certain to say *"There's just one place I still haven't looked."
> *



Thank you, Donbill.

But I know (now I´m not so sure though) that there are differences between these two tenses. It´s just I wouldn´t say "busqué" (I´d probably prefer "he buscado") in Spanish either (with no more context), so I thought it was the same in English, even here.

Sorry.  Saludos.


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## Lavernock

donbill said:


> I don't think so!
> Here's a follow-up to my previous observation:
> 
> I would almost unconsciously say* "I haven't looked" *rather than*"I didn't look"* because it seems to be an ongoing situation for me. The item is still lost, so I *haven't stopped* looking for it. But, if I wanted to limit my looking totally to the past (yesterday, last week, etc.), I might well say *"There's just one place I didn't look."
> 
> *If I were to add the adverb 'still' to the context, I'm almost certain to say *"There's just one place I still haven't looked."
> *



As she says says "there  *is *just one  place " ... that suggests a present situation, I would automatically eliminate "didn't look" it just doesn't combine well.


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## donbill

Lavernock said:


> As she says says "there  *is *just one  place " ... that suggests a present situation, I would automatically eliminate "didn't look" it just doesn't combine well.



I wouldn't eliminate it. 

_I looked all day. I stopped looking at the end of the day. I looked in many places, but there's one place I didn't look [during the time that I spent looking]._ The place still exists, but I didn't look there. In my opinion, the fact that it still exists does not matter.

I agree that *'haven't looked'* may be the more logical choice, but *'didn't look'* seems quite logical if I want to completely limit the act to the past and not attach it in any way to the present.

¡Que siga el debate!


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## Lavernock

donbill said:


> I wouldn't eliminate it.
> 
> _I looked all day. I stopped looking at the end of the day. I looked in many places, but there's one place I didn't look [during the time that I spent looking]._ The place still exists, but I didn't look there. In my opinion, the fact that it still exists does not matter.
> 
> I agree that *'haven't looked'* may be the more logical choice, but *'didn't look'* seems quite logical if I want to completely limit the act to the past and not attach it in any way to the present.
> 
> ¡Que siga el debate!


Yes, but in this case we seem to be talking about a *present* situation not a past situation. She says  there * "is"  *just one place she hasn't looked. *"didn't  look"* would sound completely incoherent to me. Both in English and in Spanish. Sólo hay un lugar donde no *he buscado

*If  I think about it I wouldn't use the past  simple tense even if the original were in the past. I would say:

There was only one place I *hadn't looked.*
In Spanish too:
Sólo había un lugar donde no *había buscado.*


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## donbill

Lavernock said:


> Yes, but in this case we seem to be talking about a *present* situation not a past situation. She says  there * "is"  *just one place she hasn't looked. *"didn't  look"* would sound completely incoherent to me. Both in English and in Spanish. Sólo hay un lugar donde no *he buscado
> 
> *If  I think about it I wouldn't use the past  simple tense even if the original were in the past. I would say:
> 
> There was only one place I *hadn't looked.*
> In Spanish too:
> Sólo había un lugar donde no *había buscado.*



Well, Lavernock, this gets more and more involved. You haven't convinced me yet, and I'm sure I haven't convinced you. I think we're both right, but we see the issue differently.

Consider this: _*I can't find my keys. I looked for them all day yesterday, and I've looked for them today.  Aha! There is one place I didn't look yesterday, and I haven't looked there today. I'm sure that's where they are.

*_Now, that seems quite acceptable chronologically in English, and I think the same would apply in Spanish.I apologize for the repetitive nature of the following, but I'd like to stay as close as possible to the English._* 

No puedo encontrar mis llaves. Pasé todo el día de ayer buscándolas, y las he buscado por toda la casa esta mañana.¡Ajá! Hay un lugar que no registré/miré ayer, y no las he buscado allí esta mañana. Estoy seguro de que voy a encontrarlas allí.*_

I'll leave it at that. This could be one of those points about which we have to agree to disagree.


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## blasita

donbill said:


> Well, Lavernock, this gets more and more involved. You haven't convinced me yet, and I'm sure I haven't convinced you. I think we're both right, but we see the issue differently.
> 
> Consider this: _*I can't find my keys. I looked for them all day yesterday, and I've looked for them today.  Aha! There is one place I didn't look yesterday, and I haven't looked there today. I'm sure that's where they are.
> 
> *_Now, that seems quite acceptable chronologically in English, and I think the same would apply in Spanish.I apologize for the repetitive nature of the following, but I'd like to stay as close as possible to the English._*
> 
> No puedo encontrar mis llaves. Pasé todo el día de ayer buscándolas, y las he buscado por toda la casa esta mañana.¡Ajá! Hay un lugar que no registré/miré ayer, y no las he buscado allí esta mañana. Estoy seguro de que voy a encontrarlas allí.*_
> 
> I'll leave it at that. This could be one of those points about which we have to agree to disagree.



Lo siento, Donbill, no lo veo claro todavía; creo que pudiera ser un caso de regionalismos _en este caso_:



> 'Sólo queda un sitio donde no busqué'
> My try:
> "There's just one place left where I didn't look.".



Sé que en algunas regiones de España, y en América Latina, usan el pretérito con más frecuencia (y me parece muy bien). Luego esto sería correctísimo. Yo, repito, diría aquí "he buscado" sin más contexto: "busqué" es correcto, pero no sería lo que yo diría preferentemente sin más contexto; ¿será lo mismo en inglés?

Un saludo.


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## jdenson

Lavernock said:


> There is just one place where *I haven't looked.*



I would leave out "where". 

JD


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## blasita

jdenson said:


> I would leave out "where".
> 
> JD



OK, but would you use "didn´t look" here?  Thanks.


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## Masood

donbill said:


> *I don't think it's a difference between BrE and AmE. I think it has to do with context and chronology.*
> 
> _I've been looking for something all morning. There's just one place that I haven't looked, and I'm going to look there now._
> 
> _I looked for something all day yesterday. There's just one place that I didn't look [yesterday], and I'm going to look there now.
> 
> _Saludos


I agree and I like your example, too.


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## donbill

blasita said:


> Lo siento, Donbill, no lo veo claro todavía; creo que pudiera ser un caso de regionalismos _en este caso_:
> 
> Un saludo.



Pues, sin duda no me he explicado bien. (No me expliqué bien.)

_a. There is only one place left where I didn't look.
b. There is only one place left where I haven't looked_.

I would say without hesitation or doubt that both are completely acceptable in English--at least in American English--in the context of the original post.

Sentence 'a', above, simply says that the searching is over. I looked, for example, in three of four places. There is no indication that I will look in the fourth. Sentence 'b' could imply that I will continue to search. By using present perfect in 'b', I connect the past (when the search began) to the present. Past simple in 'a' has no such connection to the present, in spite of the presence of 'there is'. The action, the search, is finished.

I would probably say version 'c', below, but I wouldn't consider 'd' to be incorrect.

_c. You gave me three books. I have read two of them. I'm going to give you back the book I haven't read.

d. You gave me three books. I read two of them. I'm going to give you back the book I didn't read._

I don't think this is a case of regionalism. I wish some other angloparlantes would join in. Maybe they think it's too 'picky' an issue to bother with.

Back to work!

Saludos a todos


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## ribran

I see it just as you do, donbill!


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## donbill

ribran said:


> I see it just as you do, donbill!



¡Gracias, ribran! 

I'm really beginning to wonder if there is an element of regionalism involved.


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## blasita

Yes, thanks everyone. But I was trying to take into account the Spanish sentence as well; well, OK, it doesn´t matter... my fault.

So, to sum up, we can tell Espléndido that both "haven´t looked" and "didn´t look" are fine, right?

Lo siento, pero aún creo que en la _oración que da título a este hilo_ habría diferentes interpretaciones e incluso regionalismos. Pero seré solo yo; siento la molestia.


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## Masood

I agree with donbill's post above.

_a. There is only one place left where I didn't look._
This is past simple. The 'search' is over.

_b. There is only one place left where I haven't looked._
This is present perfect. It's a finished action connected in some way to the present.


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## blasita

Masood said:


> I agree with donbill's post above.
> 
> _a. There is only one place left where I didn't look._
> This is past simple. The 'search' is over.
> 
> _b. There is only one place left where I haven't looked._
> This is present perfect. It's a finished action connected in some way to the present.



And I agree about the English grammar; I know all of this!  But because "busqué" is in the original sentence, and I´d say "he buscado" here (I know that in Galicia they use this tense instead), well ... I give up!  But I still don´t get it.


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## Masood

blasita said:


> And I agree about the English grammar; I know all of this!  But because "busqué" is in the original sentence, and I´d say "he buscado" here, well ... I give up! My fault.


I see.

Your question is about the Spanish. i.e "busqué" versus "he buscado".

I'm no expert on Spanish, but maybe there is a Spanish regionalism or grammar rule at work here.


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## blasita

Masood said:


> I see.
> 
> Your question is about the Spanish. i.e "busqué" versus "he buscado".
> 
> I'm no expert on Spanish, so maybe there's a Spanish regionalism or grammar rule at work here.



Yes, but it´s not _my question_; as I´ve been trying to say it´s *the original sentence*.


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## Lavernock

Masood said:


> I agree with donbill's post above.
> 
> _a. There is only one place left where I didn't look._
> This is past simple. The 'search' is over.
> 
> _b. There is only one place left where I haven't looked._
> This is present perfect. It's a finished action connected in some way to the present.



Masood. If there is still one place where you "*didn't look",   *then the search is not over because you still *haven't looked there.


*


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## Lavernock

Hi Donbill and Ribran

Sorry still don't  agree with you. Donbill you give many examples which I may partially agree with, but  the example given ie "There's just one place .." is in the *present*  tense  *not*  the past, so it isn't valid to say, "ah yes  but if it *were* in the past.

 So for me there is only one place I *didn't look* isn't accurate, because the action remains to be done. How can you put that in the past?

It seems we must ever  remain divided by a common language!


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## Lavernock

blasita said:


> And I agree about the English grammar; I know all of this!  But because "busqué" is in the original sentence, and I´d say "he buscado" here (I know that in Galicia they use this tense instead), well ... I give up!  But I still don´t get it.




Hi Blasita

It's not you who doesn't get it.


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## blasita

Lavernock said:


> Hi Donbill and Ribran
> 
> Sorry still don't  agree with you. Donbill you give many examples which I may partially agree with, but  the example given ie "There's just one place .." is in the *present*  tense  *not*  the past, so it isn't valid to say, "ah yes  but if it *were* in the past.
> 
> So for me there is only one place I *didn't look* isn't accurate, because the action remains to be done. How can you put that in the past?
> 
> It seems we must ever  remain divided by a common language!





> Hi Blasita
> 
> It's not you who doesn't get it.



Ay, muchas gracias, Lavernock, ¡alguien entiende a lo que me refiero! 

Sorry to have been so insistent, but even though I´d definitely use the present perfect, I still think that this may be a regionalism (at least I´ve heard it).

Un saludo a todos.


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## ribran

Lavernock said:


> Hi Donbill and Ribran
> 
> Sorry still don't  agree with you. Donbill you give many examples which I may partially agree with, but  the example given ie "There's just one place .." is in the *present*  tense  *not*  the past, so it isn't valid to say, "ah yes  but if it *were* in the past.
> 
> So for me there is only one place I *didn't look* isn't accurate, because the action remains to be done. How can you put that in the past?



How? I open my mouth and out come the words! 

I really am beginning to think this is a BrE/AmE difference, as blasita has been saying since the beginning of time.

EDIT: Oh, Masood agrees with us.


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## Lavernock

ribran said:


> How? I open my mouth and out come the words!
> 
> I really am beginning to think this is a BrE/AmE difference, as blasita has been saying since the beginning of time.
> 
> EDIT: Oh, Masood agrees with us.



Masood just  hasn't  ( not didn't think)thought enough about it!


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## donbill

Lavernock said:


> Masood. If there is still one place where you "*didn't look",   *then the search is not over because you still *haven't looked there.
> 
> 
> *



I could be over. *I didn't look there, and I am not going to look there!
*


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## Lavernock

But how can the search be over, Masood, if you say there is still one place where you haven't looked (or didn't look if you will). Does that mean that in spite of knowing that your search is incomplete you are now going to abandon it?

 If there is somewhere you haven't looked, and you know it,  your search is incomplete,  that is  *"not over"*. Your search will only  be over when you *have looked* in that remaining place.


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## Lavernock

donbill said:


> I could be over. *I didn't look there, and I am not going to look there!
> *


  But wouldn't it be easier to use I *haven't looked ,   *which is much more straightforward and unambiguous, rather  than having to contrive all sorts of unlikely situations to justify your choice?


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## donbill

Lavernock said:


> But wouldn't it be easier to use I *haven't looked ,   *which is much more straightforward and unambiguous, rather  than having to contrive all sorts of unlikely situations to justify your choice?



My point is that we may look at the search as ongoing or as concluded. If we think that it is ongoing, we use 'haven't looked'; if we look at it as concluded, we use 'didn't look'. Neither position is contrived, but each is appropriate to a particular situation.


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## Lavernock

donbill said:


> My point is that we may look at the search as ongoing or as concluded. If we think that it is ongoing, we use 'haven't looked'; if we look at it as concluded, we use 'didn't look'. Neither position is contrived, but each is appropriate to a particular situation.



Thanks for your answer.

 But Why should we use ambiguous terms when exact ones are freely  available?

There *is* just one place  left where* I haven't looked*.
There *was* just one place where *I didn't look* (or  better *hadn't looke*d).

Neither of these are open to interpretation.

"There is just one place left where I* didn't look * " is a strange combination of tenses and leaves too much to individual interpretation. This can be easily avoided by more careful choice of language.


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## donbill

Lavernock said:


> "There is just one place left where I* didn't look * " is a strange combination of tenses and leaves too much to individual interpretation.



I don't find it strange at all if I am conveying to you the idea that the looking is over and that for some reason I did not look in a particular place. Perhaps I chose not to look there, perhaps I didn't have time to look, perhaps I was afraid to look there because it's where my wife keeps her pet Gaboon Viper. For some reason I didn't look there!

I agree with you that careful choice of language helps us to make--but, unfortunately, does not guarantee that we will make--exactly the point that we want to.

It has been an interesting exchange, Lavernock!

Cheers!


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## inib

donbill said:


> Pues, sin duda no me he explicado bien. (No me expliqué bien.)
> 
> _a. There is only one place left where I didn't look._
> _b. There is only one place left where I haven't looked_.
> 
> I would say without hesitation or doubt that both are completely acceptable in English--at least in American English--in the context of the original post.
> 
> Sentence 'a', above, simply says that the searching is over. I looked, for example, in three of four places. There is no indication that I will look in the fourth. Sentence 'b' could imply that I will continue to search. By using present perfect in 'b', I connect the past (when the search began) to the present. Past simple in 'a' has no such connection to the present, in spite of the presence of 'there is'. The action, the search, is finished.
> 
> I would probably say version 'c', below, but I wouldn't consider 'd' to be incorrect.
> 
> _c. You gave me three books. I have read two of them. I'm going to give you back the book I haven't read._
> 
> _d. You gave me three books. I read two of them. I'm going to give you back the book I didn't read._
> 
> I don't think this is a case of regionalism. I wish some other angloparlantes would join in. Maybe they think it's too 'picky' an issue to bother with.
> 
> Back to work!
> 
> Saludos a todos


I'll also go along with that, Donbill.


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## Irma2011

inib said:


> I'll also go along with that, Donbill.


Me too.




donbill said:


> Pues, sin duda no me he explicado bien. (No me expliqué bien.)





donbill said:


> _a. There is only one place left where I didn't look.___
> _b. There is only one place left where I haven't looked_.
> 
> I would say without hesitation or doubt that both are completely acceptable in English--at least in American English--in the context of the original post.
> 
> Sentence 'a', above, simply says that the searching is over. I looked, for example, in three of four places. There is no indication that I will look in the fourth. Sentence 'b' could imply that I will continue to search. By using present perfect in 'b', I connect the past (when the search began) to the present. Past simple in 'a' has no such connection to the present, in spite of the presence of 'there is'. The action, the search, is finished.
> 
> I would probably say version 'c', below, but I wouldn't consider 'd' to be incorrect.
> 
> _c. You gave me three books. I have read two of them. I'm going to give you back the book I haven't read._
> 
> _d. You gave me three books. I read two of them. I'm going to give you back the book I didn't read._
> 
> I don't think this is a case of regionalism. I wish some other angloparlantes would join in. Maybe they think it's too 'picky' an issue to bother with.
> 
> Back to work!
> 
> Saludos a todos


Yo no soy angloparlante, al menos no en este momento en que ya me siento completamente aturdida por tanto ‘didn’t look’ y ‘haven’t looked’, pero me atrevo a decir, donbill, que tienes toda la razón del mundo. Las dos formas son posibles. El hablante tiene pleno derecho a decidir si tiene en mente un tiempo de un pasado ‘acotado’ o todavía ‘abierto’ en el presente y me atrevo a decir, ‘*haya o no’ *decidido seguir con la búsqueda en cuestión, como creo que apuntaste tú también. Creo que en español, que me corrijan, si estoy equivocada, los usuarios del presente perfecto compuesto ‘_he buscado’_, cuando se dice ‘_no busqué’_, se da a entender que la búsqueda ha terminado. Sólo creo, porque yo en esto patino un poco al utilizar exclusivamente ‘busqué’ en todos los casos.

Saludos cordialísimos a todos. Una pena no tener tiempo para participar más en los debates, o ser demasiado lenta. Still.


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## Masood

Lavernock said:


> Masood just  hasn't  ( not didn't think)thought enough about it!


Hi  Lavernock,

I have thought about it and I still maintain that both sentences below are valid:

a. There is only one place left where I didn't look.
b. There is only one place left where I haven't looked.

Donbill has given a succinct explanation and examples in his previous posts. 
Interesting discussion!

Cheers,


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## blasita

Thanks everyone for your comments.

I have never said that "didn´t look" was incorrect. And as to the Spanish sentence: I have never said that "busqué" was not correct. My question was about _use_.

I repeat, I would use "he buscado" (and not "busqué") _in this sentence_ (without further context), and I wanted to know if it was the same case in English.  In my experience, this is a regionalism in Spanish. By the way, Espléndido did ask about the translation (Spanish-English) not about the Spanish sentence. So, I think we can say that he´s right.

I have asked some former colleagues (British, American, Australian and South African) and all of them prefer the present perfect in this case, and a few would not use the past simple here.

Un saludo.

PS Y yo he montado todo esto, ¿eh?


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## Lavernock

Masood said:


> Hi  Lavernock,
> 
> I have thought about it and I still maintain that both sentences below are valid:
> 
> a. There is only one place left where I didn't look.
> b. There is only one place left where I haven't looked.
> 
> Donbill has given a succinct explanation and examples in his previous posts.
> Interesting discussion!
> 
> Cheers,



Hi Masood

Well, I'm glad you're  happy with them.

best wishes


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## Lavernock

blasita said:


> Thanks everyone for your comments.
> 
> I have never said that "didn´t look" was incorrect. And as to the Spanish sentence: I have never said that "busqué" was not correct. My question was about _use_.
> 
> I repeat, I would use "he buscado" (and not "busqué") _in this sentence_ (without further context), and I wanted to know if it was the same case in English.  In my experience, this is a regionalism in Spanish. By the way, Espléndido did ask about the translation (Spanish-English) not about the Spanish sentence. So, I think we can say that he´s right.
> 
> I have asked some former colleagues (British, American, Australian and South African) and all of them prefer the present perfect in this case, and a few would not use the past simple here.
> 
> Un saludo.
> 
> PS Y yo he montado todo esto, ¿eh?



Hi Blasita

I'm with your friends on that one!

Un saludo.


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## blasita

Lavernock said:


> Hi Blasita
> 
> I'm with your friends on that one!
> 
> Un saludo.



Cheers, Lavernock.


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