Magda  +  265629 Mon, 11 Sep 06 09:42 PM Hi everyone, I wonder if the sentence is correct: "He helped us from the beginning". Is it OK? If not, with what should I replace "from the beginning"? Thank you Magda Joined on Sat, Sep 9 2006 Full Member 445

	Welkins2139  +  265730 Tue, 12 Sep 06 03:55 AM You can also say: He help us at the beginnig. From the beginning or at the beginning is an adverbial phrase that modifies helped.   Welkins2139 Joined on Sun, Oct 9 2005 Full Member 414 Determination, Dedication and Devotion!

	Grammar Geek  +  265746 Tue, 12 Sep 06 04:34 AM He helped us at the beginning. This is a different meaning. If he helped from the beginning, the assumption is that he helped when we started and is still helping now. If you say he helped at the beginning, it sounds like he stopped helping after the project (or whatever) got going. Grammar Geek Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006 Veteran Member 19,652 Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random!

	Yankee  +  279205 Wed, 11 Oct 06 06:19 PM If he is still helping now, then you can say "He has helped us since the beginning".  In other words, you should use the present perfect tense. You could also use the present perfect continuous: "He has been helping us since the beginning".  Yankee Joined on Sat, Apr 15 2006 Connecticut, USA Veteran Member 6,491 Amy "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." - Mark Twain Tenses, Present Perfect

	CalifJim  +  279208 Wed, 11 Oct 06 06:35 PM I would probably say something from this pattern.  The original seems a little bare as is.  I would be likely to mention what it was the beginning of. He has helped us [from / since] the (very) [beginning / start] (of  [the project / the year / ...] ). CJ CalifJim Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004 California Veteran Member 22,383 "There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche