Search results for 'tag:Tenses' matching tag 'Tenses'

Re: Is it possible to use present perfect with "long ago"?

Goodman — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:04:46 GMT

I donât want to add fuel to the already fired up discussion but I was taught as a rule of thumb, that âsinceâ and âagoâ usage should be avoided in a present perfect sentence.

I know there is another camp which sees it differently.

I have been living in California since 3 years ago âto some this is acceptable. I was taught this is non-standard.
Somehow, the word "ago" just doesn't seem to stick to present perfect tense to me.

Re: A question about tense usage in "since clause"

Viceidol — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:59:03 GMT

Mr Wordy

(But I notice you say "I didn't translate it very well". So, the explanation is not written in English? Is it possible that you're still mistranslating it?)

No, my understanding this time is right. Then I believe this part of my grammar book must be wrong.

I'd really like to ask further into this question. Allow me to write a new post to discuss it. Thank you, Mr. Wordy. You've helped me a lot!

Re: Please correct my sentense...tq

Mister Micawber — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:13:47 GMT

.

We wish to highlight that as per the summary of ABCâs offer, which you signed earlier, and as per the requirement below, we shall retain the clause regarding normal working hours for onshore and offshore work sites. I will be sending you two original copies of the contract. Please replace pages 2 and 3, and initial and return one copy for our file.
.

Perfect tense with the word 'until' and 'when'

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:14:56 GMT

Hi, guys,

I have a question about the perfect tense in the sentences below:

= Maybe Mom and Dad won't let him have access to the massive trust fund until he's settled down?

= When I got back, she'd thrown up again.

I know the perfect tense is used when there're two events and you decide which one is first. In the second sentence, I guess it was used to indicate that her throwing up started before the time the speaker got back. For the first one, I guess it was used to indicate the completion of his settling down. Am I right? I would appreciate any help. Thanks in advance. Thank you!

Please correct my sentense...tq

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:42:16 GMT

Could someone please help to correct my sentences below please, as I'm not well verse in English for contract statement. Thanks.

Wish to highlight you that as per summary of ABCâs offer which you have signed earlier and as per the requirement below, we shall therefore maintain your clause of normal working hours for onshore and offshore work sites. Therefore, I will be sending you 2 original copy of contract for you to initial and replace page no 2 & 3 and return back one copy for our file.

Re: select few

Clive — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:37:09 GMT

Hi,
Actually I wanted to see the difference between select a few and selected a few.

It's just present tense / past tense. Or are you asking about something else?
Clive

PS
Perhaps you mean this adjectival form.

They only represent a select few young girls.
They only represent a selected few young girls.

Say #1, not #2.

Re: A question about tense usage in "since clause"

Mr Wordy — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:08:34 GMT

Viceidol
"It's a long time since he lived there." suggests "He does not live there now.(He lived there.)",

Roughly correct, but omits to say that he left a long time ago (I suppose they take that as being obvious).

Viceidol
"It's a long time since he has lived there." suggests "He still lives here now. (He has lived there for a long time.)"

Nonsense. If your book really does say this then I recommend you throw it away and get a different one.

(But I notice you say "I didn't translate it very well". So, the explanation is not written in English? Is it possible that you're still mistranslating it?)

Re: A question about tense usage in "since clause"

Viceidol — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:26:02 GMT

Mr Wordy

Viceidol
It's a long time since he lived there. (It suggests "He does not live there for a long time.")
It's a long time since he has lived there. (It suggests "He lives there for a long time.")
Are you sure that you copied those right-hand sentences correctly? Neither of them is good English, except, unusually, in the context of a present-tense narrative, which I can't imagine is the intention here (and in any case would not lead to correct interpretations of the sentences in italics).

I'm sorry that I didn't translate it very well, but the book says: "It's a long time since he lived there." suggests "He does not live there now.(He lived there.)", and "It's a long time since he has lived there." suggests "He still lives here now. (He has lived there for a long time.)"

Re: A question about tense usage in "since clause"

Mr Wordy — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:55:15 GMT

Viceidol
It's a long time since he lived there. (It suggests "He does not live there for a long time.")
It's a long time since he has lived there. (It suggests "He lives there for a long time.")

Are you sure that you copied those right-hand sentences correctly? Neither of them is good English, except, unusually, in the context of a present-tense narrative, which I can't imagine is the intention here (and in any case would not lead to correct interpretations of the sentences in italics).

To me, there is no material difference in meaning between the two sentences in italics. Both mean that he used to live there, but he left a long time ago and does not live there now.

More generally, though, the simple past means that we're referring to a single instance of whatever activity it is, and the perfect tense tends to suggest several instances or a pattern of behaviour. This difference is of little importance with the verb "lived", but in other cases it can be more apparent. For example,

It's a long time since he's visited America. -- Suggests that he previously visited America several times, perhaps regularly, but that this pattern of behaviour stopped a long time ago.

It's a long time since he visited America. -- Means that it's been a long time since that last specific visit. (Note, though, that it's quite possible to use this form even if he used to visit regularly, because there's always a last specific visit.)

Re: A question about tense usage in "since clause"

Viceidol — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:41:06 GMT

Hello, Mr. Wordy, may I ask one more question?

One of my grammar boooks gives the following interpretation:

It's a long time since he lived there. (It suggests "He does not live there for a long time.")

It's a long time since he has lived there. (It suggests "He lives there for a long time.")

Is that right? What do you think?

Sorry to bother.