"We spoke" vs "We have spoken a few minutes"

Question

"We spoke" vs "We have spoken a few minutes"

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'We have spoken a few minutes' is in the present perfect tense, indicating an action that started in the past and has relevance to the present. 'We spoke' is in the simple past tense, indicating an action that occurred and was completed in the past.

Last Updated: March 15, 2024

This phrase is used in the simple past tense to indicate an action that occurred and was completed in the past. It implies that the speaking took place at a specific point in the past.

Examples:

We spoke about the project yesterday.
She spoke with him on the phone last night.
They spoke at the meeting this morning.
I spoke to her about the issue earlier.
Did you speak to him about the plan?

Alternatives:

We had a conversation.
We chatted.
We communicated.
We exchanged words.
We talked.

This phrase is used in the present perfect tense to indicate an action that started in the past and has relevance to the present. It implies that the speaking occurred recently and may still be ongoing.

Examples:

We have spoken a few minutes ago, and we are planning to meet again tomorrow.
She has spoken with the manager about the issue.
They have spoken on the phone several times this week.
I have spoken to him about the project multiple times.
Have you spoken to her about the upcoming event?

Alternatives:

We have been speaking for a few minutes.
We have had a conversation for a few minutes.
We have chatted for a few minutes.
We have communicated for a few minutes.
We have exchanged words for a few minutes.

Answer 1

We spoke

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English, especially in the simple past tense.

Answer 2

We have spoken a few minutes

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English, especially in the present perfect tense.

"We spoke" vs "We have spoken a few minutes"

We spoke

We have spoken a few minutes

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