Grammar question no. 80

Question

Dear All,Could you please help me with the grammar here? Hello XYZ, thanks for dropping a line. I wanted to write you a long update but since the feeling of hopelessness has struck back I sort of live day by day and try not to think much.Should has struck back be transformed into past simple tense?Should the part in bold be phrased differently? For instance: I've sort of been living day by day...Thanks

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

Perfect StrangerShould has struck back be transformed into past simple tense?

If you mean "since" as the beginning of an event, then use simple past.
If you mean "since" as "because," then what you have is fine.

Perfect StrangerShould the part in bold be phrased differently? For instance: I've sort of been living day by day...

Either way is fine. The continuous just emphasizes duration, and that it might be short-lived.

Perfect Stranger · Answer

AlpheccaStarsIf you mean "since" as the beginning of an event, then use simple past.If you mean "since" as "because," then what you have is fine.

Thanks AS.

Hmm... This asks for more questions. Hope you won't mind.

1) How would you, as a native speaker read since in this sentence if you saw it for the firs time without being asked any of my previous questions?

I wanted to write a long update but since the feeling of hopelessnes has struck back I've sort of been living day by day without thinking much.

2) If I want to use since as the beginning of an even, do I have to clearly state when it began? After all, past simple is used there.

AlpheccaStarsEither way is fine. The continuous just emphasizes duration, and that it might be short-lived.

Does it mean that if I use p.perfect continuous the described action has already finshed? I.e. living day by day is over?

AlpheccaStars · Answer

I wanted to write a long update but after the feeling of hopelessness returned, I've sort of been living day by day without thinking much.

"After" does not have a meaning of "because." It refers to a time (unspecified) in the past.

Perfect StrangerDoes it mean that if I use p.perfect continuous the described action has already finshed? I.e. living day by day is over?

No. It is not finished.

Perfect Stranger · Answer

Thanks again AS but I'd still like to go back to the question of using since, if you don't mind... How would you, as a native speaker read since in this sentence if you saw it for the firs time without being asked any of my previous questions?

I wanted to write a long update but since the feeling of hopelessnes has struck back I've sort of been living day by day without thinking much.

Would you say that you'd never use since the way I used it?

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Perfect StrangerWould you say that you'd never use since the way I used it?

No. I would use it, and be purposefully (or inadvertently) ambiguous.

Grammar question no. 80

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