Can we use past simple without giving the exact time?

Question

Can we use past simple without giving the exact time. For example.

'I will tell you how I learned English through self-study.'

successive suspension · Accepted Answer · 2019-09-21 07:32:28Z

1

Infact it is misleading to say that simple past is used always to talk about things that indicate an exact time.

Your sententence I will tell you how I Iearned Engish through self study is correct

There are many instances where simpe past can be used without referring to exact time.

1. columbus discovered America. (here time is implied)

.2 I read all of shakespere' s dramas ( the exact time is not necesary to tell.)

A. Why are you crying?

B My grand mother beat me.( here exact time is not necessary.

answered Sep 21, 2019 at 6:49

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What about "I will tell you how I have learned English through self-study."
– Abu Omar
Sep 21, 2019 at 8:35
1

@Abu Omar.Both the present perfect and the simple past talk about the completion of a task. But , Here how I have learned may imply that you are still learning..The first sentence does not tell whether you are self learning. It may suggest that you have reached a certain level well in the past
– successive suspension
Sep 21, 2019 at 8:51

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