Questions related to the English Perfect Construction, which is sometimes called "the present perfect tense".
0
votes
2answers
45 views
Is reported speech reasonable in this example? [closed]
What is the right word to the gap (21)? (had/have)
That is about 400 years earlier than when the Inca Indians were
thought to (21) __ discovered the silver in the ground.
I think it's had as ...
0
votes
3answers
191 views
Present perfect vs. passive voice
Here are two sentences that look pretty similar:
The book was written by Hugo.
The book has been written by Hugo.
Each of them says that the action has been already performed in the past ...
1
vote
1answer
76 views
Is the sequence of tenses applied properly in this example?
I found this sentence in some book:
When Mom asked Gramma why she hasn't been answering the telephone, Gramma said. . . .
My question is about the sequence of tenses: shouldn't the past perfect ...
0
votes
1answer
89 views
“I been” or “I’ve been”?
In the famous song Every Breath You Take by The Police, Sting sings:
Since you've gone I been lost without a trace…
I admit that I am not some expert in English Grammar, but this "I been" ...
-3
votes
0answers
38 views
Present Perfect Continous + Sequence of Tenses [closed]
I tried to write a sentense
Also I've been investigating if it's possible to use ....
The only thing that confuses me is if I used Present Simple in dependent clause properly, since I didn't ...
1
vote
3answers
89 views
Is “have not worked here for a long time” ambiguous?
I have not worked here for a long time/for many years.
Is it ambiguous? Which of the two below is the correct meaning?
I have been working here, but only for a short period of time.
I once ...
4
votes
2answers
169 views
Why present perfect in “When the night has come”?
In the song “Stand by Me”, we see a sentence like “when the night has come.”
I was taught that in a when clause, we use the past tense, yet the present perfect has been used in the sentence cited ...
1
vote
2answers
70 views
Present and past perfect dilemma
This sentence is giving me trouble:
For several days I (have/had) not had the chance to see her until a
few hours ago.
I think had is correct because the time reference is a few hours ago, ...
1
vote
1answer
196 views
Present perfect or past simple? [duplicate]
I know the basic rules about using PP and PS (like specified time in the past etc.) but in some cases, it is not clear to me:
I have finished painting. - present perfect, I just announce that.
I ...
2
votes
1answer
102 views
I was sat thinking why you were stood there before I was took away by the word police [duplicate]
I know my sentence is dreadful but everyone now uses these words in this way, including my eight children aged 19—26. Yes, they are from Manchester but my husband uses he was took and he’s from ...
6
votes
4answers
600 views
“have been working” vs. “have worked”
What is the difference between the following two sentences?
I have been working here for 20 years.
I have worked here for 20 years.
The present perfect tense is used for repetitive or ...
-1
votes
5answers
193 views
“By the time”: what time case to choose?
I have the following sentence that I doubt about what time to choose:
By the time they are in their late teens, their ability to learn ____.
What should I use?
is lessening
lessens
lessened
...
-2
votes
1answer
61 views
“What I've” vs “What I” [duplicate]
I'm titling a post I'm writing as:
What I've Learned At {company name}
I'm struggling, however, with trying to figure if I should drop the I've for just I to make it:
What I Learned At ...
0
votes
1answer
97 views
Reported Speech Tense Choice [closed]
Which of the followings sentences would be the best choice?
The victim explained how he became addicted five years ago...
His addiction is so bad that he is unable to keep a steady ...
8
votes
4answers
216 views
When was the form “is become” first used?
In the famous “Hallelujah” chorus from Handel’s Messiah, a line goes:
The kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of our Lord.
I’ve noticed similar forms in many biblical texts and ...
0
votes
2answers
286 views
Is “have been being investigated” in the following sentence grammatically correct?
I need to know whether the following sentence is grammatically correct or not. Specifically, I am unsure about have been being investigated part.
Do the times that I am using match each other?
...
4
votes
3answers
183 views
Is the use of the word “been” necessary or proper when discussing a completed event?
Is the use of the word "been" in the following sentence necessary or proper?
The arbitration between the claimant and the respondent has already been concluded.
Someone has been editing my paper ...
1
vote
3answers
116 views
Tense choice in “the strategy was exploited so frequently before, that it has long lost its originality”
I am not sure if the Past Simple and Present Perfect tenses in the second part of the sentence are used correctly:
Surely, we can experiment with various styles, combine genres and produce ...
-2
votes
1answer
135 views
“Did you wash your hands?” or “Have you washed your hands?” and why? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How do the tenses in English correspond temporally to one another?
When do I use present perfect tense instead of the simple past?
When will “Present Perfect vs. Past ...
0
votes
1answer
173 views
Present simple vs. present perfect
I'm doing a key word transformation and I've come to this sentence:
There aren't any eggs left.
"We ____ eggs".
I should complete the sentence with 2–5 words using the word "run".
At first I ...
1
vote
1answer
237 views
“Has been changed” or “has changed”?
Debate with a fellow writer: should I say "My email ID has been changed" or "My email ID has changed"?
0
votes
2answers
259 views
Meaning and sentence structure of “Why would we have thought otherwise?”
Here is a snippet from an article on CNN
And of course the fiscal cliff turned out to be a dud. Why would we have thought otherwise? It somehow makes perfect sense that Washington created its own ...
3
votes
1answer
175 views
The original usage of past participles
I have heard that the origin of the present perfect construction is that sentences like "I have it done" (passive) changed to "I have done it" (present perfect).
Is that true at all?
If that's the ...
0
votes
1answer
250 views
“Had spent” vs. “has spent” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
where should we use has/have been and had been?
[Company] had spent previous years a few blocks away from the new location.
This sentence uses "had spent", but to ...
1
vote
2answers
1k views
“I've been working here since two months ago” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Proper usage of “since” and “from” with regard to duration of time
Is “since I’m” now an acceptable alternative to “since I was”?
With the Present Perfect ...
-1
votes
2answers
330 views
“I got it covered” vs “I've got it covered” [closed]
Which of the two sentences is correct and why:
I got it covered.
or
I've got it covered.
Edit:
I am referring to usage that implies that you have something under control:
Sally: Did ...
3
votes
3answers
438 views
Why don’t people ever say “I have wanted to ask”?
Why do people never say the following:
I have wanted to ask. . . .
Maybe it would be better to ask whether it’s correct to say:
I have wanted to ask. . . .
But really I think I’ve never ...
4
votes
2answers
263 views
“I have been keeping ignoring you.”
Does this make any sense?
I have been keeping ignoring you.
Besides that it sounds awkward, my Chinese buddy who knows more grammar rules than I care to list said that the phrase is ...
1
vote
1answer
200 views
When not to use past perfect?
In a recent question: Past perfect or past simple in combination with present perfect? the asker presented three options.
I have examined the document you gave me and...
I have examined the ...
2
votes
3answers
2k views
“How long have you [had/been having] this?” - Cont. or Simple?
I'm studying Present Perfect tenses at the moment and have been wondering what tense should I use in this example:
How long have you [had/been having] this thing?
So I know that in some cases ...
1
vote
3answers
221 views
Past perfect or past simple in combination with present perfect?
Suppose I received a document from my colleague, studied it and then gave him feedback in a letter. How should I construct the following sentense?
I have examined the document you gave me and...
...
-1
votes
3answers
359 views
Present Simple instead of Present Perfect
I have come across interesting cases several times where the Present Simple is used instead of the Present Perfect. For example:
1) Lately I get the feeling that I am not so much being pulled down as ...
2
votes
5answers
368 views
Using “present perfect” for things that happen in future
Is it grammatical to use "Present Perfect" tense for something that is going to happen in future? As far as I know, the Present Perfect is used to say that an action happened at an unspecified time ...
1
vote
1answer
224 views
“I was wondering what time it is” or “I was wondering what the time has been”
Can you tell me which option is more natural in this English sentence?
I'm sorry to trouble you but I was wondering what
(A) time it is
(B) the time has been
The whole story is that ...
1
vote
3answers
1k views
Present-Perfect: “hadn't heard” vs. “haven't heard”
Let's say I have just listened to a beautiful song wanted to immediately tell my friend about it. Which sentence should I use?
A. I haven't heard a song this good for a while.
B. I hadn't ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Have lived vs. Have been living
What is the difference between the followings?
A. I have been living here for 5 years.
B. I have lived here for 5 years.
Am I correct that these two represent the same event, but A ...
1
vote
2answers
523 views
Already vs. before in the present perfect
What's the difference?
Example:
I've already seen Terminator.
vs.
I've seen Terminator before.
2
votes
1answer
153 views
“There are several reasons proposed for the collapse of the bridge.”
There are several reasons proposed for the collapse of the bridge.
Is this present simple tense or the present perfect tense? I thought it might be the latter since there is a retrospective ...
3
votes
2answers
123 views
Tenses and completeness of actions
When one uses simple past tense for some action, does it imply that the action is complete?
For instance, when you say “I wrote my article yesterday,” does this imply that at this moment you have a ...
0
votes
2answers
153 views
Trouble with mixed tenses [closed]
How many phones have you lost in total?
I've lost 2 in 2 months, at this rate I could be catching you up!"
In particular I've used the past simple in the first sentence. The second sentence ...
-4
votes
2answers
226 views
“His hopes had not materialized”/“have not materialized”/“have not been materialized”
Which one is preferable in following sentence?
His hopes of getting through the I.A.S. had not materialized till today's date.
His hopes of getting through the I.A.S. have not materialized ...
3
votes
3answers
233 views
Correct tense for events which happend long time ago but still have direct connection with present time
Suppose that a man disappeared twenty years ago and I haven't had a notice about him since then. What should I say to my interlocutor if I want to tell him about this story?
You know, Harry has ...
1
vote
1answer
416 views
Did you ever hear(see, do, anything else) vs. Have you ever(seen, done, and so on) heard? [closed]
What's correct? If both, what is the difference between these questions?
An example from The Valley of Fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:
MacDonald turned over the letter which Holmes had handed ...
3
votes
2answers
199 views
Perfect tenses in conditionals
Why does one sometimes use the perfect tense in conditions of the first type? Say,
I will do something if you have done something.
I did something when he had done something.
instead of,
...
-4
votes
1answer
2k views
“Since I last saw you” or “since I last have seen you”? [closed]
Which of the following two sentences is correct?
It's been long time since I last saw you.
It's been long time since I have seen you.
-2
votes
1answer
208 views
Past or present perfect tense for event happened last night [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How do the tenses in English correspond temporally to one another?
Since watching TV is a completed action which happened last night, which one is correct?
Last ...
0
votes
4answers
4k views
“Have been + verb-ing” vs. “have + past participle”
What's the difference between the following constructions of present perfect:
I've been waiting for you for seven years.
I've waited for you for seven years.
Googling yields no satisfying ...
1
vote
2answers
421 views
Do 'already' and 'just' require the present perfect?
Compare:
'We already gave him a response'.
'We have already given him a response'.
Do 'already' and 'just' strictly require the present perfect?
4
votes
2answers
386 views
Past simple or present perfect? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Present perfect for past action with present effect
Is this sentence correct? What exactly does it mean?
Person 1: Where did you hide my keys?
Person 2: I put ...
0
votes
3answers
325 views
Present Perfect or simple past?
A student has written:
Still, I have already been aware of most of the information even
before watching the video.
It doesn't feel right and I would normally use a past simple here. I'm on my ...
