you’ve been beaten VS you were beaten

[northpath]

In a movie, one of the characters says:

It’s important to know when you’ve been beaten.

I think the right sentence should be:

It’s important to know when you were beaten.

 

[emsr2d2]

Why do you think that?

 

[teechar]

It's always easier to analyse such sentences if you keep them simple.
So let's compare: "you've been beaten" with "you were beaten".

The first reports some news, or expresses for example surprise, hence the use of the present perfect (linking the past with the present time frame).
The second just talks about a past event.
Do you understand the difference between them now?
Also, do you see why what you heard in that movie is correct? That sentence employs the present perfect to link the fresh defeat (from the recent past) to the present (realization - indicated by the verb "know").

 

[emsr2d2]

In a movie, ...

@northpath That's not enough. You must provide the title and year of the film. It's a copyright issue - you have to provide the source whenever you quote someone else's words.

 

[northpath]

Why do you think that?

Because present perfect cannot be used when you point to an exact moment in the past.
For instance, you cannot say: I have seen him last week in the bar.

 

[Tarheel]

@northpath The sentence in question doesn't violate your rule.

 

[teechar]

Because present perfect cannot be used when you point to an exact moment in the past.

But that's not the case above. Did you read my explanation in post #3?