Magda  +  270549 Thu, 21 Sep 06 09:30 PM Hi, could you tell me if my sentence is correct? "She has bought a new washing machine even though her old one was working well" I am particularly worried about the usage of past simple.  Wouldn't it  be better to use  present simple in this sentence "even though her old one is still working well"? Thank you Magda Joined on Sat, Sep 9 2006 Full Member 445 Present Perfect, Past Simple, Present Simple

	milky  +  270555 Thu, 21 Sep 06 09:57 PM <"She has bought a new washing machine even though her old one was working well"> Yes, It's OK. It gives the feeling that she has now disconnected, or got rid of, her old machine. I think this would be more common though: "She bought a new washing machine even though her old one was working well" "She has bought a new washing machine even though her old one is well" milky Joined on Thu, Jan 15 2004 Senior Member 3,149 Hume said that if we had perfect or complete descriptive knowledge of reality, we could not, by reasoning, derive a single valid "ought". Present Perfect, Past Simple

	Marius Hancu  +  270597 Fri, 22 Sep 06 12:22 AM "She has bought a new washing machine even though her old one was working well" BrE "She bought a new washing machine even though her old one was working well" AmE Both correct, IMO. Marius Hancu Joined on Wed, Apr 26 2006 Veteran Member 11,673 Present Perfect, Past Simple

	milky  +  270600 Fri, 22 Sep 06 12:33 AM  Marius Hancu wrote: "She has bought a new washing machine even though her old one was working well" BrE "She bought a new washing machine even though her old one was working well" AmE Both correct, IMO. And if the purchase was very recent, do AE speakers still use only the past simple form there? milky Present Perfect, Past Simple

	Marius Hancu  +  270602 Fri, 22 Sep 06 12:41 AM Matter of preference, but see: Differences Between American and British English Use of the Present Perfect http://esl.about.com/library/weekly/aa110698.htm?once=true& Marius Hancu British English, Present Perfect, Past Simple

	MrPedantic  +  270605 Fri, 22 Sep 06 12:52 AM Much depends on the context. Here are some possibilities: 1. Did I tell you about my next door neighbour? She bought a new washing machine even though the old one was still working perfectly well. 2. I don't know what to do about the old lady next door. She's bought a new washing machine, even though the old one was still working perfectly well. 3. I don't know what to do about the old lady next door. She's bought a new washing machine, even though the old one is still working perfectly well. In #1, the speaker presents the incident as complete: it's in the past. In #2, there's a connection between the incident and the present: buying a new washing machine needlessly is an example of the strange behaviour that worries me. She has probably disposed of the old washing machine. In #3, as #2, except that she probably still has the old washing machine. (For instance, maybe the new one hasn't been delivered yet.) MrP MrPedantic Joined on Tue, Oct 12 2004 Veteran Member 12,592 ...opella forensis / adducit febris... Present Perfect, Past Simple

	milky  +  270616 Fri, 22 Sep 06 01:48 AM Yet both these are possible: 1. Did I tell you about my next door neighbour? She bought a new washing machine this morning even though the old one was still working perfectly well. 2. Did I tell you about my next door neighbour? She's bought a new washing machine even though the old one was still working perfectly well. There, the choice is more about definite versus indefinite information. milky Present Perfect, Past Simple