A simple explanation required of the time implication of "have"?

Question

Consider this sentences:1. You have done your homework or you just know everything!2. Millions of students around the world have improved their written and spoken English using the Advanced Learner's Dictionary.Can u plz tell me when the two actions is inferred when using the word "have" in these sentences in the past, present and future time sense?

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

Consider this sentences:

1. You have done your homework at some unspecified time in the past

or you just know everything!

2. Millions of students around the world have improved their written and spoken English at various unspecified times in the past

using the Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

Can u plz tell me when the two actions is inferred when using the word "have" in these sentences in the past, present and future time sense?

Best wishes, Clive

Trunks · Answer

So if i say:

You did your homework or you just know everything. Does it mean the same as the last one or is there any difference?

Clive · Answer

Hi,

I think you need to study or review the Present Perfect tense.

You did your homework You did it at some specific point in the past, but this statement does not tell us when. Also, it does not tell us that the fact you have done your homework has any importance to the present situation.

You have done your homework This tells us that the specific point in the past is not important. It also tells us us that the fact you have done your homework has some importance to the present situation.

Clive

Trunks · Answer

Well, one thing that i know for sure about the perfect tenses is that they always represent two actions.

E.g. Since the 1980s, the number of Clientele users has grown from a mere 1000 to a remarkable 1 billion. (This represents the fact that the actions took place from the past and might or might not continue at present)

So i wanted to know when i say, "you have done your homework", whether it meams I started doing it in the past and finished some time in the present.

But also when i say, "you had done your homework", it means i started doing the action in the past and i also finished it in the past.

So does the simple past (i.e. the sentence: you did your homework) mean "i also finished the homework in the past"?

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Well, one thing that i know for sure about the perfect tenses is that they always represent two actions.

No, they don't always. eg I have cooked dinner. It's on the table.This is one action.

E.g. Since the 1980s, the number of Clientele users has grown from a mere 1000 to a remarkable 1 billion. (This represents the fact that the actions took place from the past and might or might not continue at present) Might or might not, ie unspecified.

So i wanted to know when i say, "you have done your homework", whether it meams I started doing it in the past and finished some time in the present. What do you mean by 'sometime in the present'? The present is the present.

But also when i say, "you had done your homework", it means i started doing the action in the past and i also finished it in the past.

Previously, we were not discussing Past Perfect. If you now want to discuss it, let me say that the basic context is an action that happened before some other action or point in the past.

eg Tom came home from work. Mary cooked dinner. This suggests first the cooking, then the coming.

eg Tom came home from work. Mary had cooked dinner. This suggests first the coming, then the cooking.

However, I recommend that you concentrate on understandong the Present Perfect before you start considering the Past perfect.

So does the simple past (i.e. the sentence: you did your homework) mean "i also finished the homework in the past"? I don't know what you mean here by 'also'. Yes, the Simple Past tense simply describes an event that occured in the past. That's why it's called the Simple Past.

Best wishes, Clive

Trunks · Answer

Okay well i understood this parts:

A simple past describes only a single event occuring in the past.

I know about the past perfect that's why i mentioned it. Btw, i also saw that example in one of your earlier posts while i was learning the basic functions of each tenses.

But what i didn't get was how can a perfect tense describe a single action. Because i've seen a lot of examples showing two actions in a single sentence and neither of them showed a single action. Can u plz explain this part only in more detail? thnx.....

Clive · Answer

Hi,

But what i didn't get was how can a perfect tense describe a single action

The policeman has killed the robber.He only killed him once.

Clive

Trunks · Answer

I'm sorry....what i actually meant by two actions were two events in the single sentence. I mean the sentence u mentioned should be:

The policeman killed the robber today. (Since it shows a single event)

On the other hand,

The policeman has killed the robber before the others did.

Shouldn't it be something like this?

Clive · Answer

Hi,

I'm sorry..what i actually meant by two actions were two events in the single sentence. I mean the sentence u mentioned should be:

The policeman killed the robber today. This sentence is OK. (Since it shows a single event)

On the other hand,

The policeman has killed the robber before the others did. This sentence does not work.

Consider this.

The policeman has killed the robber. The underlying meaning here is 'The robber is dead'.

The focus is on the situation now, not on the killing as a past event.

If you want to focus only on the past, say

The policeman killed the robber before the others did.

Shouldn't it be something like this?

I suggestthat you review the meaning of the Present Perfect tense carefully.

After that, if you would like to write and post some more sentences, we'd be happy to check them for you.

Best wishes, Clive

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