Questions related to the English Perfect Construction, which is sometimes called "the present perfect tense".
3
votes
5answers
632 views
I have a question regarding present perfect and simple past
I have this example:
Have you ever lost something valuable?
The answer is : No, I haven't, but my brother ___ his camera on a
trip once.
My question is this. With what should I fill the ...
4
votes
2answers
333 views
Present Perfect usage
Today I saw this quote from Michael Jordan, and the usage of Present Perfect in all of his past failed experiences got my attention:
I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost ...
6
votes
3answers
5k views
Simple Past vs. Present Perfect: “was” vs. “has been” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“Did it close” vs “Has it closed”?
Which is correct: “has died” or “died”?
How do the tenses in English correspond temporally to one another?
...
-1
votes
1answer
553 views
“Did it close” vs “Has it closed”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How do the tenses in English correspond temporally to one another?
What's the difference between the following?
Did the shop close?
Has the shop closed?
I suspect ...
10
votes
6answers
973 views
Is using the present perfect old fashioned?
I was talking to a Singaporean (English is her native language. I think, closer to American rather than British) friend.
I learned in English class that you can use present perfect when there is a ...
2
votes
3answers
1k views
How is “I have come” + infinitive different from Present Perfect?
Consider the following examples:
I have noticed that a lot of people are switching to Unity.
vs.
I have come to notice that a lot of people are switching to Unity.
or:
The Saddam I have ...
0
votes
4answers
1k views
Present perfect tense sentence
For the following sentence:
I haven't been there in a long time.
I want to know if the above sentence conveys any connection with time up to now. How can I correct this sentence it if it is ...
1
vote
1answer
737 views
Use of “had said” in the “The Archers”
In the BBC radio drama The Archers, the following conversation takes place:
A: David, you are not going to say what you saw. You love your family, right?
David: What?
A: ...
2
votes
3answers
3k views
“I've just arrived” vs. “I just arrived” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is “I just spent all my money” grammatically incorrect?
“I just ate them” and “I've just eaten them” — what's the difference in American and British English?
...
2
votes
1answer
567 views
Present perfect and present perfect continuous for actions in progress
My grammar book says that both present perfect and present perfect continuous, when used with "for, since, etc", express a situation that began in the past and continues to the present. When used ...
3
votes
5answers
496 views
Present perfect passive voice
I have to put this sentence in passive:
She took a long time to write the composition, but at last she wrote it.
Trying to write this in passive, I wrote the following:
The composition took ...
0
votes
2answers
403 views
Present perfect as continuing action (“for three years”) [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When to use “has lived” vs. “lived” vs. “had lived”
I’m having trouble understanding this sentence:
I have lived here for three years (I still live here.)
I know ...
2
votes
4answers
476 views
Past simple vs present perfect in this example
Could you explain to me please what is the difference between these. It is meant to express that I will let him know AFTER I picked/have picked a car.
I'll let you know which one I picked
...
16
votes
8answers
8k views
Is there any difference between Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous?
I have studied "present perfect" and "present perfect continuous" for a week. I know forms, verb and helping verb I should use when I write them.
For me, they have nearly same definition because I ...
3
votes
4answers
5k views
“I have received” vs. “I received”
The option of using simple past vs. present perfect in situations like the following has been bothering me for quite some time.
I sent you a letter a few days ago; I was wondering if you have ...
0
votes
2answers
325 views
perfect tense: question on “unspecified time”
What kind of time descriptor can be regarded as an "unspecified time"? (So it can be used along with the perfect tense)
For example, it's correct to say:
I have seen that movie six times in the ...
2
votes
3answers
660 views
Is “has died for several years” correct?
I know it is correct to say
He has been dead for three years.
I've learned the present perfect tense, and it's said that non-continuous verbs are allowed. Is this sentence correct as well?
...
4
votes
1answer
2k views
Which is correct: “has died” or “died”?
To me, using Present Perfect form means the event can occur again. So, saying
someone has died
may not be grammatically correct.
Also, I noticed (it might be just co-incidence):
passed ...
1
vote
3answers
233 views
Present Perfect in reviews
When explaining an experiment from a paper which one of the following seems more suitable and natural.
In this paper they study the genetic structure of human body. They have examined over 100 ...
1
vote
3answers
658 views
“For how many days have you been there?”
I read the following and was wondering if it was grammatically correct? Can we use this if the person just moved from that place and you run into him in a new place?
For how many days have you ...
2
votes
3answers
314 views
Why present perfect in “How many points have you scored this season”?
Normally we use the past simple instead of present perfect when an action happened at a specific time in the past and is not linked with the present.
Why is the below sentence grammatically correct? ...
0
votes
2answers
140 views
Is present perfect necessarily definitive action in past [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How do the tenses in English correspond temporally to one another?
If I say "I have worked in a supermarket." does it mean that all the work is in the past and that now, ...
4
votes
3answers
276 views
“Having influence” in perfect tense
I chatted on IRC and stumbled upon such a nice sentence:
On the opposite, Tom has been a good influence on my life since I met him.
For me it means that Tom is an influence, instead of Tom ...
0
votes
0answers
38 views
Calling “Past Perfect” the “Past” of “Present Perfect” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How do the tenses in English correspond temporally to one another?
Can we consider the past perfect to be the past form of present perfect?
He has been a teacher for ...
2
votes
2answers
953 views
“It's taking me forever” vs “It has been taking me forever”
If you are writing a long report, which one sounds more natural: "Oh, this report is so long, it's taking me forever" or "Oh, this report is so long, it has been taking me forever"?
2
votes
3answers
501 views
The origin of “been to” and “gone to” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the difference between “I've been to China” and “I've gone to China”?
I know the difference between saying "he's gone to the ...
2
votes
1answer
14k views
“have been” versus “had been” in questions [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How do the tenses in English correspond temporally to one another?
"I can tell that he's not English, but I wouldn't had been able to tell that he's french if you didn't ...
3
votes
3answers
408 views
About using “only” with present perfect
I have seen this sentence in a status from one of my facebook friends. It doesn't sound right to me.
We have only left the city for the day.
I think that it should be something like:
We have ...
0
votes
2answers
128 views
“Once the client has replaced the songs” or “Once the client had replaced the songs”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How do the tenses in English correspond temporally to one another?
Mira is wondering what is the correct way to say:
"Once the client has replaced the songs" or "Once ...
0
votes
2answers
161 views
Present Perfect with “that”
I came across the sentence "It's been thirty years since my parents first met." I am sure that if I heard "It's been thirty years that my parents first met", I would accept it as grammatical, but I ...
0
votes
0answers
126 views
Is it correct to use Simple Past in place of Present Perfect? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When Will “Present Perfect vs Past Tense” Cases Be Affected By Culture?
When do I use present perfect tense instead of the simple past?
On a movie this boy ...
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votes
3answers
1k views
Subject + “have had” + bare infinitive … ever correct?
In writing an email today I came up with the following sentence:
"We have had two other ladies express an interest in the room."
I'm a native English-English speaker and this felt fine to me. My ...
2
votes
2answers
439 views
Is “I just spent all my money” grammatically incorrect?
Lyircs of Free by Natalia Kills:
I'm free
I just spent all my money
but I rocked that like it don't cost a thing
Shouldn't it be "I've just spent all my money"? As far as I remember, ...
4
votes
3answers
319 views
Why no Future Perfect in “At the end of the year there will be an exam on everything you've studied”?
At the end of the year there will be an exam on everything you've studied.
I'm just wondering why not use the Future Perfect tense here, as in:
At the end of the year there will be an exam ...
0
votes
3answers
427 views
Present perfect and simple past
Here's a conversation:
Speaker1: I have already seen this film.
Speaker2: When have you seen it? [OR] When did you see it?
Speaker1: Last month.
Are both of the responses from Speaker2 ...
5
votes
1answer
495 views
Past simple with today
For example, I want to say that I found a ball today. But "today" means action in present, am I right?
I've already searched the Internet and it seems the right way is this:
I found a ball today
...
6
votes
5answers
591 views
Present perfect continuous and “for”
Why aren't you allowed to say "I have been knowing her for ten years" or "It has been broadcasting for many years"?
But you are allowed to say "I have been waiting for an hour".
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vote
2answers
397 views
Can the preposition “in” be used instead of “for” in the following sentence?
English grammar books say that when you express a period of time in present perfect, the prepostions such as "for" or "since" should be used.
Example sentences:
I have lived here for 20 years.
...
2
votes
1answer
293 views
“You have hidden a request sent by …” versus “You hid a request sent by …”
I have come across a couple confusing sentences when hiding (ignoring) requests on Facebook.
The first response message was:
You hid a FarmVille request sent by John Doe
and the second was
...
2
votes
1answer
20k views
where should we use has/have been and had been?
Where should we use "has/have been" and "had been"? What is the difference between
them?
5
votes
2answers
120 views
Is there a verb that doesn't take the participle form when used in Present Perfect?
I remember about a month ago I was speaking to a friend and I said a Present Perfect sentence like "I have [VERB]". I forget the verb but I remember it was an everyday verb, not something exotic. But ...
3
votes
3answers
162 views
Is there any pragmatic implication in ‘Beaky has enjoyed London’ here?
It says on a grammar book that in some cases, the present perfect form has pragmatic meanings.
Joan has broken the teapot. (I have to get a new one.)
I’ve had a bath. (I’m now clean.)
Is ...
0
votes
1answer
267 views
Is that a correct usage of present perfect?
What do you think about this sentence?
Do you have bought the lesson book?
Is that a correct usage of "Do you have bought"? Or should I say "Did you buy"?
8
votes
2answers
2k views
“She is gone” versus “she has gone”
When should I say "She is gone", and when should I say "She has gone" (and why)?
I think that when I mean "She went away and she's still there", it should be "She has gone". Are there exceptions ...
1
vote
2answers
218 views
Use of the word “have”
In a menu title/button, does "have" need to be used? Is "1" okay or should "2" be used?
1) People who contacted you in the last 24 hours
2) People who have contacted you in the last 24 hours
This ...
4
votes
2answers
12k views
“Has been” vs. “was”
Should one use has been or was in the following sentence, and why?
For many years the USA has been a British colony.
For many years the USA was a British colony.
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votes
4answers
2k views
What is the grammatically correct form of Present Perfect Continuous in the passive voice? Does it exist?
Can the passive voice be correctly used for sentences in the Present Perfect Continuous tense?
I understand Present Perfect and its passive voice (have/has built, has been built). However, the ...
6
votes
5answers
2k views
Is this correct: “I'd have to have had…”
This sentence makes my head hurt a bit, and it doesn't seem right, but perhaps you guys could help me sort it out.
"If I would've gone to Canada, I'd have to have had some kind of winter gear."
10
votes
3answers
7k views
Difference between “are you done” and “have you done.”
I was just wondering, how can we differentiate "are you done?" and "have you done?", and
what is the appropriate way to use each?
4
votes
4answers
5k views
What is the difference between “I've been to China” and “I've gone to China”?
Both are in the present perfect, but one uses the verb 'to go' and the other 'to be'. Is there a rule for this?
Is there any chance that the differences between "I have been" vs. "I have gone", are ...
