0
Wangqh2696122 Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
In the context, "since I was here" or "since I have been here"?
Please read the diary, then tell me: In the context, "since I was here" or "since I have been here"?
Thursday 15, June, 1944
Dear kitty,
I wonder if it’s because I haven’t been able to be outdoors for so long that I’ve grown so crazy about everything to do with nature. I can well remember that there was a time when a deep blue sky, the song of the birds, moonlight and flowers could never have kept me spellbound. That’s changed since I was here.
…For example, when it was so warm, I stayed awake on purpose until half past eleven one evening in order to have a good look at the moon for once by myself. But as the moon gave far too much light, I didn’t dare open a window. Another time some months ago, I happened to be upstairs one evening when the window was open. I didn’t go downstairs until the window had to be shut. The dark, rainy evening, the wind, the thundering clouds held me entirely in their power; it was the first time in a year and a half that I’d seen the night face to face…
…Sadly…I am only able to look at nature through dirty curtains hanging before very dusty windows. It’s no pleasure looking through these any longer because nature is one thing that really must be experienced.
Yours,
Anne
Thursday 15, June, 1944
Dear kitty,
I wonder if it’s because I haven’t been able to be outdoors for so long that I’ve grown so crazy about everything to do with nature. I can well remember that there was a time when a deep blue sky, the song of the birds, moonlight and flowers could never have kept me spellbound. That’s changed since I was here.
…For example, when it was so warm, I stayed awake on purpose until half past eleven one evening in order to have a good look at the moon for once by myself. But as the moon gave far too much light, I didn’t dare open a window. Another time some months ago, I happened to be upstairs one evening when the window was open. I didn’t go downstairs until the window had to be shut. The dark, rainy evening, the wind, the thundering clouds held me entirely in their power; it was the first time in a year and a half that I’d seen the night face to face…
…Sadly…I am only able to look at nature through dirty curtains hanging before very dusty windows. It’s no pleasure looking through these any longer because nature is one thing that really must be experienced.
Yours,
Anne
Top answer
since I have been here. since I came here.
- since I have been here.
- since I came here.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
10 Answers
0
0
0
0
Mister MicawberBoth of my suggestions are OK.Is there any difference in meaning?
My teacher says: the author is now still here, so we shouldn't use the past tense. She says we had better use the present perfect in this case.
Is she right?
00
MrM is right of course.
The problem here is, I think, that native speakers sometimes use an incorrect tense after "since". You may sometimes hear them say
It's been a while since I've seen you.
Obviously the sentence should read
It's been a while since I (last) saw you.
But
That's changed since I've been here or even "that's changed since I'
The problem here is, I think, that native speakers sometimes use an incorrect tense after "since". You may sometimes hear them say
It's been a while since I've seen you.
Obviously the sentence should read
It's been a while since I (last) saw you.
But
That's changed since I've been here or even "that's changed since I'
00
IvanhrMrM is right of course. The problem here is, I think, that native speakers sometimes use an incorrect tense after "since". You may sometimes hear them say It's been a while since I've seen you.Obviously the sentence should read It's been a while since I (last) saw you. ButThat's changed since I've been here or even "that's changed since I've lived here" for instance
00
0
IvanhrIt's wrong if she still lives there.
After we have read the diary, can't we draw the conclusion that the author still lives there? Why do you use "if"?
00
wangqh2696122IvanhrIt's wrong if she still lives there.After we have read the diary, can't we draw the conclusion that the author still lives there? Why do you use "if"?
Yes, that's my understanding too. And for that reason, "was" should have been "have been".
00
Your conversation is wandering from the point. I'm think. The difference is in the two verbs used:
That's (=That has) changed since I came here-- 'Come' (= arrive) is a point in time (Anne came there on 11 August 2009, for instance). Since 11 August, she has been spellbound-- this is a period of time from 11 August to now.
That's changed since
That's (=That has) changed since I came here-- 'Come' (= arrive) is a point in time (Anne came there on 11 August 2009, for instance). Since 11 August, she has been spellbound-- this is a period of time from 11 August to now.
That's changed since
0
Related Questions