Can you tell me if the explanations to the sentences given are properly written?

Question

Hi teachers,1. Sharon has phoned Robert every week, trying to invite him for dinner.Because of the present perfect tense and the frequency expression, the sentence informs us of the frequency that Sharon has phoned Robert at indefinite points in time in the past.Here, the present perfect places us in a situation that has not finished yet. Robert may accept Sharon’s invitation. It is not all over.2. Sharon phoned Robert every week, trying to invite him for dinner.Because of the simple past tense and the frequency expression, the sentence informs us of the frequency that Sharon phoned Robert at indefinite points in time in the past.Here, the simple past places us in a situation that is finished and disconnects it from the present. It is all over.Thanks in advance.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Thinking Spain1. Sharon has phoned Robert every week, trying to invite him for dinner.

Because of the present perfect tense and the frequency expression, the sentence informs us of the frequency ~~that~~ with which Sharon has phoned Robert at indefinite points in time in the past. Here, the present perfect places us in a situation that has not finished yet. Robert may accept Sharon’s invitation. It is not all over.

"Here, the present perfect places us in a situation that has not finished yet", Not necessarily. Here, the action of she phoning him could quite possibly have ended at the time of saying. Sharon's waiting state might be still going on, but that is an implicit possibility that's not directly indicated by the statement.

I also don't think that the present perfect has significance over the definiteness of time at which the event/action happened. Your statement could've been: Sharon has phoned Robert every Friday in the past weeks [, in the evening, at eight P.M.], trying to invite him over for dinner.

Thinking Spain2. Sharon phoned Robert every week, trying to invite him for dinner.

Because of the simple past tense and the frequency expression, the sentence informs us of the frequency ~~that~~ with which Sharon phoned Robert at indefinite points in time in the past. Here, the simple past ~~places us in~~ informs us of a situation that is finished and disconnects it from the present. It is all over.

Same goes here regarding time definiteness. Also, I would use the word action/event in place of a situation, for though the calling might be well over, the situation may be still going-on and new attempts are made to call that Robert fella!

Take it easy with the tense thing Thinking Spain, Don't over-think it.

Anonymous · Answer

Anonymous I would use the word action/event in place of ~~a situation~~ situation

Sorry about that.

Tenacious Learner · Answer

AnonymousTake it easy with the tense thing Thinking Spain, Don't over-think it.

Hi,
Thank you very much for your help. It is indeed a difficult tense!

Anonymous Sharon has phoned Robert every week, trying to invite him for dinner.Because of the present perfect tense and the frequency expression, the sentence informs us of the frequency ~~that~~ with which Sharon has phoned Robert at indefinite points in time in the past.

Some teachers say '... that Sharon ...' some others say '... with which Sharon ...'.

TS

Can you tell me if the explanations to the sentences given are properly written?

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