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Zoltán Király Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
I don't really understand the difference between these past sentences
1. I cleaned the floor.
2. I have cleaned the floor.
3. I just cleaned the floor.
Is "I just cleaned the floor" the most recent of all three sentences? I thought the present perfect is the most recent. I'm a bit confused.
2. I have cleaned the floor.
3. I just cleaned the floor.
Is "I just cleaned the floor" the most recent of all three sentences? I thought the present perfect is the most recent. I'm a bit confused.
Top answer
(3) is the most explicitly recent. (2) can be used about any "reasonably recent" event, provided that the cleaning of the floor is still relevant to the present situation (often because the floor is still clean). (2) could also be used in an "experiential" sense, meaning that you have done this at least once in the past, ever.
- (3) is the most explicitly recent.
- (2) can be used about any "reasonably recent" event, provided that the cleaning of the floor is still relevant to the present situation (often because the floor is still clean).
- (2) could also be used in an "experiential" sense, meaning that you have done this at least once in the past, ever.
- In practice, this meaning does not seem tremendously likely for this particular sentence.
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3 Answers
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(3) is the most explicitly recent. (2) can be used about any "reasonably recent" event, provided that the cleaning of the floor is still relevant to the present situation (often because the floor is still clean).
(2) could also be used in an "experiential" sense, meaning that you have done this at least once in the past, ever. In practice, this meaning does not seem tremendously likely fo
(2) could also be used in an "experiential" sense, meaning that you have done this at least once in the past, ever. In practice, this meaning does not seem tremendously likely fo
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Isn't "I have just cleaned the floor" make more sense? The present perfect has something with the present. And "just + simple past verb" sound similar like present perfect.
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Zoltán Király1. I cleaned the floor.1. I cleaned the floor (yesterday, this morning, last week..) one specific incident in the past.
2. I have cleaned the floor. (more recently, perhaps this morning. This is rather ambiguous and used in very specific contexts that will make the timing clear.)
3. I just (now) cleaned the floor. "Now" is implicit. You
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