Search results for 'tag:Present perfect tag:Adverbs' matching tags 'Present perfect' and 'Adverbs'

chossing correct tense/tense consistency

MaxMaximus — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:08:59 GMT

Greetings,

I have a pretty big favour to ask.

I've been struggling with this topic for quite awhile now.It goes without saying that my English "leaves something to be desired".

Having in mind the subtle differences that occur from using particular tenses, I have often wondered how the authors of following exercises expect anyone to choose the correct form, without providing sound and unambiguous references.

I've uploaded 2 exercises that I stumbled upon :

1. http://rapidshare.com/files/138835945/HP.txt.html
and
2.http://rapidshare.com/files/138835946/redundancy.txt.html

I have converted them into .txt files to ease moderators' job.

They present the essence of my inability to comprehend and do right.

First text:
1. First sentence, adverb "always" stands before the verb (author did not bother to put it in the brackets (always/be)). If she is dead (we don't know that until we have finished reading) or if she is not "a fighter" anymore (we are clueless about that either), - we could use Past Simple. Of course, Present Perfect is more likely choice, but the position of adverb puzzles.

2."But, prior to..." - Past Continuous or Past Perfect?

3.The sentence : "it (be)__ slow to notice..".I'm not sure whether Past Simple or Past Perfect should be used here.There is no strong reference whether this "slow noticing" occurred prior to her arrival or about the time when she came on board.

4."Those three years are not over..". The starting point is present time, but, that has nothing to do with the moment when she realized how things stand, which I know nothing about.Even the Present Simple is possible if she keeps realizing everyday that things are harder than she expected.For the rest of the paragraph I'm not certain whether Present Perfect should be used.

5."Above all,.." - from Present Simple (finds, is trying, is going to embark)...to Present Perfect (has found, has tried/has been trying, has embarked)...The tenses chosen in these sentences determine the tenses of the last paragraph in the text.

Second text:
1. First sentence: we could use Future Simple as well as Present Simple for the verb "have to"?

2. "Although no business or industry..". If there was a recent survey - do interviewed subjects still claim what they have said - or the use of Past Tense is obligatory? The word "any" is used in interrogative or negative sentences - but here, no question is being asked nor it is possible to be negative. Instead, "some" should have been used, I think.

3. "Those who have..." - Present Continuous or Present Simple? Former is more likely choice although the latter is possible also.

4. "In the past.." - as far as I know this presents the "indefinite moment in time". The Present Perfect could be used - but the position of adverb "always" confuses, again.

I would be more than grateful to anyone who can shed some light on these issues.
If I could reach to any other decent credible source I wouldn't ask for help in this way.

Thanks in advance,
Georgie.

Re: Present Perfect (americans)

Diamondrg — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 07:40:10 GMT

Hi, YSchneider. I am not a native speaker and this is indeed a tough grammar point for non-native speakers.

Here is an extract from CGEL*:

Did you lock the front door? [5]

in a domestic situation where it is known that the front door is locked at bedtime every night. In that case, [5] is more or less equivalent to Did you
lock the front door at bedtime? (Incidentally, in [5], "the" in "the front door" is another case of situational definiteness; cfS.Uff.)

--

The ATTITUDINAL PAST, used with verbs expressing volition or mental state, reflects the tentative attitude of the speaker, rather than past time.
In the following pairs, both the present and past tenses refer to a present state of mind, but the latter is somewhat more polite:

Do/Did you want to see me now?
I wonder/wondered if you could help us.

--

Where did you put my purse ? [ 1 ]
Where have you put my purse? [2]

The purpose of both of these questions may be to find the purse; but in [1] the speaker seems to ask the addressee to remember a past action; while in [2] the speaker apparently concentrates on the purse's present whereabouts. There are many such cases.

--

Leaving aside such virtual equivalences, we may now focus on the difference between the two constructions, contrasting the meanings of the simple past given in 4.14 with the following meanings of the simple present perfective:

(a) STATE LEADING UP TO THE PRESENT

That house has been empty for ages.
Have you known my sister for long?

(b) INDEFINITE EVENT(S) IN A PERIOD LEADING UP TO THE PRESENT

Have you (ever) been to Florence?
All our children have had measles.

(c) HABIT (ie recurrent event) IN A PERIOD LEADING UP TO THE PRESENT

Mr Terry has sung in this choir ever since he was a boy.
The province has suffered from disastrous floods throughout its history.

Of these meanings, (a) corresponds to the 'state past' use of the simple past, but differs from it in specifying that the state continues at least up to the present moment (cf: That house was empty for ages - but now it's been sold); (b) corresponds to the 'event past', but differs from it in that the past time in question is indefinite rather than definite (cf: Did you go to Florence (last summer) ?); (c) corresponds to the 'habitual past', but, as with (a), the period identified must continue up to the present.

Note In AmE there is a tendency to use the past tense in preference to the present perfective, especially for the indefinite past; eg: Did you ever go to Florence ? (c/4.13 Note lb], 4.22 Note [a ]).

--

Have you seen the Javanese Art Exhibition? [yet]
Did you see the Javanese Art Exhibition? [when it was here]

The first of these implies that the Exhibition is still open; the second that the Exhibition has finished. From this concern with a period still existing at the present time, it is only a short step to the second implication often associated with the present perfective, viz that the event is recent. The simple present perfective is often used to report a piece of news:

_., , > the news? The president has resigned.

Because of this connotation of recency, B's reply in the following exchange must be considered absurdly inappropriate:

A: Has the postman left any letters? B: Yes, he did six months ago.

Since postmen in general deliver letters daily, the implicit time zone in this case would be no longer than a day.

[Note] In AmE, the simple past is often preferred to the present perfective for the variants of the indefinite past discussed in this section. Compare [6 ], for example, with Did the children come home yet? <esp AmE). Other AmE examples are: I just came back; You told me already; and without an adverb: /*m tired -1 had a long day.

* A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language (Quirk et al.]

Re: "When have you had enough?"

jazzmaster — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 12:11:17 GMT

CalifJim
But when? has another meaning: during what period of time? In this case when? can be used with the present perfect. Also, the addition of ever often helps to suggest the durative meaning of when.
When (=During what periods in our lives) have we (ever) gone on a shopping spree? (Never. We're always broke!)
But if I want to know in what situation(s) she has called, for example, when she has been bored and had no one to talk to, I can ask When has she called? True, we often add an adverb like usually or typically: When has she usually called? but it's not absolutely required. I don't doubt that with imagination the sentence can be successfully contextualized without the adverb.

Thanks for coming back with another clear answer.

Yes, my question was concisely answered by your second presentation of "when" usage; during what period of time? I am glad to hear that "when ... ?" can be used with the present perfect.

Your example "When has she usually called?" served its purpose well. If a guy complain that his girl friend does not call him like she used to, I would ask this question. Because I am not interested in a specific date she called but frequency and/or timing of her call. Then I can clearly tell him, "you are being dumped, my friend, I am sorry."

Thanks for your input.

Re: "When have you had enough?"

CalifJim — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 08:23:47 GMT

jazzmaster
A few Japanese "hardcore English grammar reference books" do prohibit use of "when, what time" together with "have done". But I feel quite awkward with this prohibition.

The present perfect cannot be used with specific (definite) times. This is the basic rule. When when? asks for a specific time it cannot be used with a present perfect.

*When (=At what time / On what day) have we gone shopping? must be When did we go shopping?

*When (=At what time / On what day) have you completed it? must be When did you complete it?

______

But when? has another meaning: during what period of time? In this case when? can be used with the present perfect. Also, the addition of ever often helps to suggest the durative meaning of when.

When (=During what periods in our lives) have we (ever) gone on a shopping spree? (Never. We're always broke!)

______

Another meaning of when? is in what situation(s)?

When have you had enough? falls into this category (I think it's roughly equivalent to How do you know when you have had enough? or What are the signs of having had enough?), as does When has this symptom occurred most intensely? (When the patient is stressed, When he is tired, When he overeats, ...)

______

I don't suppose I've covered all the different possibilities for what when? can mean, but perhaps I've given you a direction to start thinking in.

______

Unfortunately for the ESL student, it's a matter of speaker intent when the question is asked. Only the speaker knows which definition of when? he has in mind when he asks When?

If I want to know at what time Jane called on one occasion, expecting an answer like "7 o'clock", I can't ask When has she called?, but must ask When did she call?

But if I want to know in what situation(s) she has called, for example, when she has been bored and had no one to talk to, I can ask When has she called? True, we often add an adverb like usually or typically: When has she usually called? but it's not absolutely required. I don't doubt that with imagination the sentence can be successfully contextualized without the adverb.

This presents the apparent paradox to the student that When has she called? (and many other such questions) can be both incorrect and correct. They are correct when the speaker intends one thing; incorrect when the speaker intends another!

Good luck!

Re: Please, help me with this question

CalifJim — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:17:31 GMT

Anonymous
... I have read a magazine * today ,how to explain that we don't use the Simple Past, but the Present Perfect tense here? Because the action of reading a magazine happened today, time is definite! ...

The present perfect shows indefiniteness with respect to time, yes. But you can restrict the indefiniteness with a since clause.

I have read a magazine since I saw you last.

today is a special adverb that can be used in place of a since clause with the present perfect, because (unlike adverbs like yesterday) it includes the moment of speaking:

I have read a magazine [since the beginning of this day / today].

Anonymous
... what's the difference between:

I read a magazine today. ... and I have read a magazine today. ...

The difference is subtle. The present perfect is conceptually a step removed from the real action of the simple past. The present perfect is indirect compared to the direct simple past.

I read a magazine today expresses what happened. It tells what I did directly.

I have read a magazine today expresses the existence of a state resulting from what happened. It tells what I have on my list of 'things done today'. It tells what I did, but only indirectly through the implication of what's on 'my list', which is what the sentence is really focusing on.

Re: adjective or part of a passive

CalifJim — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 02:26:44 GMT

Believer
I have difficulty distinguishing between situations where a participle is used but ambiguous as to whether it is acting as an adjective or part of a passive. Do you have some guideline I can go by?

One wonders whether anything about your ability to use English in either its spoken or written form hinges on the ability to make such distinctions. Recognize that some cases are inherently ambiguous.

Nevertheless there are some guidelines if you wish to 'get into the weeds' of the various types of passive.

Believer
... things get confused when and where the 'by' seems to be almost impossible ... [as in] this case:
The work is finished.

Yes. I think I understand what you are getting at -- although for non-native speakers some of the guidelines may appear to be circular in nature.

According to Palmer (The English Verb), besides the plain vanilla 'passive' with an agent introduced by by (The man was killed by his wife.), which we may call the 'true passive', and the passive without an agent, or 'agentless passive' (The man was killed.), also a 'true passive', there are three other categories of passive -- the pseudo-passive, the semi-passive, and the statal passive. None of these three is a 'true passive'.

To understand the three types of 'false passive' (if you'd like to call them that!), it is first necessary to understand the tests for being an adjective, as enumerated by Palmer. These tests are as follows. An adjective generally can be used before a noun, after a linking verb, with the adverbs very, rather, more, or most, (sometimes with already), and coordinated with another adjective with and. Not all of these are possible for every adjective, but they are generally possible for most adjectives. The following examples show, with these tests, how finished is an adjective.

a finished product (use before a noun)

The work is finished. (use after a linking verb)

*very finished (not really possible, since finished is not gradable)

already finished (use with already)

It is finished and ready. (with and and another adjective)

________

Now for the categories.

The pseudo-passive has no corresponding active form and the past participle is completely adjectival.

The room seems very crowded. (Note the linking verb and very.)

The problem is complicated. (You could say very complicated or rather complicated. You could say difficult and complicated. You could say a complicated problem. These tests show that complicated is an adjective here.)

The semi-passive may appear to have a corresponding active form but is adjectival. Optionally, it may introduce the apparent agent with a preposition other than by, e.g., with or in. It may relate to emotional conditions. It may have negative forms with un-.

Jake was shocked by her behavior.

Roberta was worried about the exam.

Everyone was satisfied with the results.

We were quite uninterested in the presentation.

The statal passive is adjectival. The simple tense is very similar in meaning to the corresponding perfect tense, which (at least approximately) represents the corresponding agentless passive. Some examples can occur with already.

The glass is broken. (The glass has been broken.)

They were married for many years. ( They had been married for many years. Note married and happy, married couple, already married, unmarried -- signs of being an adjective.)

The exams are finished. (See the adjective tests for finished above.)

None of the three types discussed above are 'true passives'. It is often difficult to place a given usage exactly in one of the categories, so in spite of these guidelines, there are still ambiguous cases. Even some of the examples given above might be placed in a different category. Only context can resolve them.

Re: correct sentences 24/11

Teo — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 06:09:54 GMT

They won't smoke ever since they saw a film on lung cancer.

What does "won't" mean here?

Re: correct sentences 24/11

Teo — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 06:09:49 GMT

http://forums.eslcafe.com/student/viewtopic.php?t=22113&highlight=

Re: INDIFFERENT

Hoa Thai — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 00:31:31 GMT

Hi,

Either 'bad' or 'badly' is okay because 'bad' is also an adverb albeit informal. "I need that money bad" is an example found in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English; however, the dictionary also quickly notes, "a word used to mean 'badly' which many people think is incorrect."

For an informally conversational sentence, I , myself, would not be too strict with 'bad' being used as an adverb. However, Clive pointed serious learners to a right direction.

Regarding the use of the verb tense, I have a different opinion. Because when the comment is raised, it could be just seconds ago that the girlfriend has just walked away crying. Therefore, in my opinion, 'these days' and the 'present perfect' tense go well together. Who knows? Maybe after hearing such a comment from a friend, the guy might immediately realize and run right after her - and the bad treatment would forever end. When we use the 'present continuous' tense, I feel a lingering aspect of the bad treatement exists in the future.

In any event, I think either 'present perfect' or 'present continuous' is applicable and is up to the speaker to send his/her message.

Best wishes,
Hoa Thai

Re: Some unsolved questions

CalifJim — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 07:53:25 GMT

1 - I think you might possibly use uninterruptedly as an adverb modifying continued, but the more usual word is the adjective uninterrupted, thinking of continued as a linking verb with a meaning similar to was. His work continued to be uninterrupted.

2 - You may recall that the present perfect tense is not used with an expression that indicates a definite time. next week is too definite a time to be compatible with the present perfect tense.

3 - The job may involve traveling = It is possible that the job will involve traveling. (We do not know with any certainty whether traveling will be involved or not.)
- The job may well involve traveling = It is very likely that the job will involve traveling. (No one should be the least bit surprised to find that traveling will be involved.)

4 - a) John speaks English as well as John

CJ