Search results for 'tag:Present perfect' matching tag 'Present perfect'

Re: the use of never

Clive — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:08:02 GMT

Hi,
We have an estimated gain of $100 for value date 11/30/08.

Could you please further explain why I can't say "have estimated"?

I thought when you use the "have/has" + Past Participle it is considered
to be in the perfect tense?

We HAVE ESTIMATED a gain of $100 on 11/30/08. This is not the sentence you originally posted. See my comments below.

Have (have/has)
Estimated (Past Participle)

Consider these two sentences.

We have ( an estimated gain of $100. ) Here, the verb form is 'We have', ie Simple Present. 'Estimated ' is an adjective describing 'gain'.
ie Q - What kind of gain? A - An estimated gain.

We have estimated ( a gain of $100. ) Here, the verb form is 'We have estimated', ie Present Perfect.

Best wishes, Clive

Re: Did you ever go to vs. Have you ever gone to

Grammar Geek — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 02:52:08 GMT

I agree.

Despite what you will hear about how American have little use for the present perfect and use the simple past too much, I would use "have you ever been" for that question, UNLESS we were talking very specifically.

Remember how we were talking about that new Indian place that opened on Swedesford Road? You were going to go check it out. Did you ever go there? My sister is coming in next week and I thought I'd take her there if you've been and you say it was good.

Re: When do we use present perfect subjunctive?

CalifJim — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:28:12 GMT

heloOO
how is present perfect subjunctive used in English?

Very carefully! And very sparingly!

Provided the semantics allow it, the syntax is the same as for the present subjunctive of have, plus the past participle. The present subjunctive, if not the present indicative, usually substitutes, as the subjunctive form sounds too "fussy" to many native speakers.

It is important that he have obtained a license before fishing in this stream.

The demand that the candidate have spent an entire year alone on an island before he may proceed with further survival training is outrageous.

Re: When do we use present perfect subjunctive?

Cool Breeze — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:46:50 GMT

It seems to me that the present perfect subjunctive is used to refer to the past when the present subjunctive is used to refer to the future. In your sentence the subjunctive is due to requires. I don't think many grammarians recognize this verb form, though. I have never heard of it. That doesn't mean I consider it wrong. The few grammatical forms that English has are used in amazingly colourful ways, which makes English such a fascinating (and occasionally inexact) language!

Re: When do we use present perfect subjunctive?

Anonymous — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:16:39 GMT

Here's an example:

"The court is not precluded from deciding this issue, even though the plaintiff did not address it in his appellate brief. The statute requires only that the plaintiff have had the opportunity to address the issue."

Re: "whenever" and verb tenses following it

AlpheccaStars — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:09:04 GMT

Velimir:

Sorry I did not understand your question. Here are some comments on the verb tenses in your sentences

1a) Whenever you've sent us your goods, we have received your documents related to the delivery when the truck has already set off .

you've sent: You have sent is present perfect. It is used for an action in the past that is not finally complete yet.

we have received: present perfect. It is OK to combine present perfect tenses in one sentence.

You have sent us goods, and we have received the documents. (and we expect this pattern to continue in the present and future)

when the truck has already set off . (present perfect). Herein lies the problem. The time sequence of the events is difficult to understand. If you change "when" to "before or after", then it is a little bit clearer, because "before" and "after" are more explicit in comparing time sequences.

Whenever you've sent us your goods, we have received your documents related to the delivery after the truck has already set off .

Whenever you've sent us your goods, we have received your documents related to the delivery before the truck has already set off .

Whenever you've sent us your goods, we would receive your documents

This sequence of tenses is not grammatically correct. "would receive" is future relative to the time context. But with present perfect tense, the time context is not specific enough. The simple past is required, to establish a time reference point in the past. The correct form is -- > simple past / modal relative future

Whenever you sent us your goods, we would receive the documents

2a). Whenever you sent us your goods we received your documents related to the delivery after the truck had already set off.

Simple past is fine for the first 2 clauses.

Whenever you sent us your goods we received your documents

The problem comes with the past perfect in the last clause. This means an action completed at a time reference in the past, but there is no such time reference in the sentence. It can be fixed by adding a time reference, either one time, or an adverb making a specific time series. Also, "before" or "after" is needed to establish the sequence of events.

Last Tuesday, when you sent us your goods, we received the documents after the truck had been dispatched. (once, specific time; note that it is better to use the passive to relate the truck to "you". Active voice is better, still)

Last Tuesday, when you sent us your goods, we received the documents after you had dispatched the truck.

Every time that you sent us goods, we received the documents after the truck had been dispatched. (all the time)

In the past, more than 50 percent of the time that you sent us goods, we received the documents after the truck had been dispatched.

You can also use present tense to show a habitual pattern of activities:

Sometimes when you send us goods, we receive the documents after the truck has been dispatched.

When you send us goods, we always receive the documents after the truck has been dispatched.

Note the present perfect in the last clause to show that this action was already started before the time of "receiving the documents". This sequence - present / present / present perfect compares to past / past / past perfect pattern earlier.

2b) Whenever you sent us your goods we would receive your documents related to the delivery when the truck had already set off.

See above comments.

Re: present perfect

Yankee — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 11:34:40 GMT

I mentioned "since" in my first post, Anon. "Since" can be used with the present perfect, and especially the present perfect continuous, to state a starting point from which time is measured up to now.

However, what you quoted above (from my second post) refers specifically to the sentence the original poster asked about, and that sentence did not use the word "since". What you quoted above referred specifically to the difference between using just the word "before" and "before last week".

Re: past and present perfect

CalifJim — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 08:48:43 GMT

Are you mostly concerned with telling the story of the translation? For example, was the translation a step in a larger process? Use were translated.

A was done. (Then) B was done. (Then) C was done. ...

Are you mostly concerned with the current availabiilty of the translations? Use have been translated.

paul_h
Where's the difference in meaning?

In the speaker's head. If the speaker is telling the story, it's past. If the speaker is calling attention to the fact that the events of the story happened, it's present perfect.

Re: present perfect

Anonymous — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 07:10:31 GMT

Yankee
"It is no longer an indefinite reference to time up to now." I have not seen her since he came out of the hospital.

Yankee
"It states that the one time was prior to a specific time in the past." He has had several bad headaches since he has joined the army.

As I see it, the present perfect does not like to cooccur with adverbials that indicate a point in time or a period in the past, but since is one exception.

Re: present perfect

Yankee — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 04:27:29 GMT

Your scenario suggests that people are talking about whether or not they have already seen "her" at one time in the past. You can make a very general statement and say either "I've already seen her" or "I've seen her before". Both of those sentences mean that the seeing happened at some unspecified point in time before now. That is a standard way to use the present perfect.

If you say "before last week" instead of just saying "before", that changes things in two ways:
1) It is no longer an indefinite reference to time up to now.
2) It states that the one time was prior to a specific time in the past.

In my book, that rules out the use of the present perfect in your sentence. I see your sentence not only as ungrammatical, but also as just plain awkward. The piling on of another reference to a specific past time ("when school started") simply tends to make the use of the present perfect more awkward.

That's how I see it.