Since

Share on Facebook

jack112

#176301 Fri, 30 Dec 05 03:42 AM

Are both of these possible with 'since' ?

Is #1 better or #2?

1. Ever since I met you, I am never down. (With 'am' I'm only describing about the present?)

2. Ever since I met you, I have never been down.

Thanks.

jack112

Joined on Thu, Jul 22 2004

Regular Member (715)

Hly2004

#176311 Fri, 30 Dec 05 05:07 AM

The second sentence is better.

Hly2004

Joined on Sun, Nov 20 2005

Regular Member (717)

jack112

#178663 Tue, 03 Jan 06 11:50 PM

Scenario: I lost a shirt on my birthday and 6 months has gone and it is found now.

1. I have found the shirt now. The shirt has been missing ever since my birthday. ('has' is not possible here because the shirt has been found? Or is it possible? eg. I haven't seen you for so long. (you're seeing that person right now) )

2. I have found the shirt now. It was missing ever since my birthday. (Can I use past tense for 'since' ? Past/present perfect is not needed?)

3. I have found the shirt now. The shirt had been missing ever since my birthday. (Is this correct? Is it better to use #2 since past perfect is not necessary here?)

Thanks.

jack112

Tenses, Past perfect, Present perfect, Past tenses

CalifJim

#178740 Wed, 04 Jan 06 05:46 AM

1. This is fine.
2. This is a little strange. I don't recommend it. It's oddly contradictory. It was missing, but since my birthday -- until when? With the present perfect, at least you tell us that the state of being missing carried on up to the present moment.
3. This is also OK. It makes me think the shirt was found earlier in this version than in Sentence 1.

CJ