when to use preterite and present perfect?

Question

Hello everyone, I am doing my online assignment now, and I found out a question:

Desde que _____(visitar/nosotros) Costa Rica, mi hijo se ha interesado en la alfarería vidriada.

I put "Desde que hemos visitado...", but the answer is "Desde que visitamos...", I wonder why it uses the preterite. Is there any situation that can not use present prefect?

Thanks

Welcome to SpanishDict. - rac1, Feb 25, 2017

Thanks for filling out your profile. Have a vote for that. :-) - AnnRon, Feb 26, 2017

Answer 1

The visit to Costa Rica was a one-time past event with a definite end. For this we use the preterite.

The interest in pottery started in the past but continues. For this the present perfect is appropriate.

This is the short, simple explanation. For more details and accuracy... please wait for other answers.

the past in Spanish just as same as English right - Pancho-Huang, Mar 1, 2017

Answer 2

When desde is used with the pretérito perfecto compuesto, it means that the action was completed in a specific point in the past whose results continue up to the present, so you need visitamos.