Current period and past simple

Question

I've got a grammar exercise, in which I'm to make up situations for the following sentence:

He called me up from London three times this week.

What would it mean?

I've got only one idea so far that something has changed and the person won't call any more, at least from London. Like he or she has left London or (and) arrived to the place where the speaker is, or maybe the speaker has arrived to London.

Am I right with my version?

Which other situations may be?

GPY · Accepted Answer

Pavel TaroutsI've got only one idea so far that something has changed and the person won't call any more, at least from London. Like he or she has left London or (and) arrived to the place where the speaker is, or maybe the speaker has arrived to London. Am I right with my version?

"He called me up from London three times this week" does not imply that the person won't call any more, nor that he or she will, not that anyone has travelled to or from London. I don't see any strong implications about the context beyond what the sentence literally says: that he called three times in the previous week -- though I guess it would often be the suggestion that three times is a lot. I suppose the most important unknown, which would be explained by additional context, is why the person called.

CalifJim · Answer

Pavel Taroutsmake up situations for the following sentence

1. He is a businessman and he had a lot of issues to discuss with you about a new project, so it required more than one call.
2. He was updating you on the progress of your 80-year-old uncle, who was recovering from surgery in a London hospital.
3. You owe him a lot of money, so he kept calling to tell you to pay up. As long as you didn't pay, he kept calling.
4. He was lonely, and calling helped relieve the loneliness.

Pavel TaroutsWhat would it mean?

It means just what it says. He was in London. He called. Then he called again. Then he called again. All of this happened in one week.

Pavel TaroutsI've got only one idea so far that something has changed and the person won't call any more, at least from London. Like he or she has left London or (and) arrived to the place where the speaker is, or maybe the speaker has arrived to London. Am I right with my version?

No. You're not on the right track here. Maybe you're thinking too hard about it. If you're asked to "make up situations", then I think you're supposed to think more broadly and creatively about what might cause someone to call three times in a week.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Pavel TaroutsWhat would it mean?

What GPY and CalifJim wrote in their answers.

Another point worth remembering is that while many people say or write "call up" to mean making a phone call, "up" is unnecessary. It is superfluous in this example and is often added to sentences, even when it is unnecessary.

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousAnother point worth remembering is that while many people say or write "call up" to mean making a phone call, "up" is unnecessary.

Indeed, it is not only unnecessary but subject to misinterpretation.

Say that "he" is in York. I am in London. He called me up from London can mean that he called me to order me to go to join him in York.

CJ

Pavel Tarouts · Answer

It seems I should have provided more context.

The task of the exercise is exactly the following:

Make up situations to justify the use of the Present Continuous and the Past Indefinite in the following pairs of sentences containing an indication of a period of time:

He has called me up from London three times this week.
He called me up from London three times this week.

As I understood your answers guys, the second means just the facts that are mentioned directly, without any implications about the context.

But, as I've read from grammar books, the Present Perfect should be used if some current period of time is indicated (or implied by the context) and the Present Simple if the time of the action has passed.

So why doesn't that rule work in the example?

Is the second sentence a correct use of the Past Simple at all?

What is the difference between the two samples (in terms of the context they may be found in)?

E.g. if the person who called has died, wouldn't be the second sentence the only correct form to be used?

CalifJim · Answer

Pavel Tarouts-
He has called me up from London three times this week.
He called me up from London three times this week.

I don't see any significant difference between these sentences.
The first one more or less keeps the on-going situation up-to-date.
The second one just says that it happened.
The subject matter of the sentence, however, does not suggest the sort of scenario where the difference might be very noticeable.

Pavel Taroutsthe Present Perfect should be used if some current period of time is indicated (or implied by the context) and the ~~Present~~ Past Simple if the time of the action has passed.

The speaker would use the present perfect if the speaker wanted to include present time in some way, even as a subtle psychological factor. If the speaker wants to present the situation as unconnected to the present, he uses the simple past. In some cases, it's a matter of speaker choice. In other cases, it's a matter of determining from context how relevant the "current period of time" factor is. In the examples at hand, I'd say it's the speaker's choice.

Pavel TaroutsIs the second sentence a correct use of the Past Simple at all?

Don't worry. It's fine.

Pavel TaroutsE.g. if the person who called has died, wouldn't be the second sentence the only correct form to be used?

The speaker would have to know that the caller had died, of course, but yes. (However, this is an especially minor consideration for the given example. How often does someone die who calls you three times in a week?)

CJ

GPY · Answer

Pavel TaroutsMake up situations to justify the use of the Present Continuous and the Past Indefinite in the following pairs of sentences containing an indication of a period of time: He has called me up from London three times this week. He called me up from London three times this week.

I think you mean present perfect rather than present continuous.

Because the present perfect creates a stronger connection with the present, it is more likely to be used if the matter to which the calls related is still ongoing, and less likely to be used if that matter has now been resolved. However, this is not completely clear cut.

Pavel Tarouts · Answer

CalifJim, GPY, thank you!

BTW, is the following a rather British view of the issue than American?

GPY Because the present perfect creates a stronger connection with the present, it is more likely to be used if the matter to which the calls related is still ongoing, and less likely to be used if that matter has now been resolved. However, this is not completely clear cut.

CalifJim · Answer

Pavel TaroutsBTW, is the following a rather British view of the issue than American?

No, I don't look at it that way. In my opinion, what GPY has said (BrE) applies to AmE as well.

CJ

Current period and past simple

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