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Anonymous Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
More examples: Use of present perfect
Hi,
I think I was taught by CalifJim that a present perfect is not used when something that denotes a definite time frame is involved like 'yesterday' and 'during lunch time' (if I learned it correctly). Can you give me some more examples of those that will bring about the conditions that would make the use of a present perfect wrong? Is 'during lunch time' sufficiently specific in time to qualify for it (f I phrased the question correctly)?
Why is it OK to use a present perfect tense for these?
I have been studying for the past/previous two days. -- Does not 'past two days' elicit a definite time frame? On second thoughts, they do not. I think a definite time frame is a point in time, not a span of time, no mattr how short that is.
I think I was taught by CalifJim that a present perfect is not used when something that denotes a definite time frame is involved like 'yesterday' and 'during lunch time' (if I learned it correctly). Can you give me some more examples of those that will bring about the conditions that would make the use of a present perfect wrong? Is 'during lunch time' sufficiently specific in time to qualify for it (f I phrased the question correctly)?
Why is it OK to use a present perfect tense for these?
I have been studying for the past/previous two days. -- Does not 'past two days' elicit a definite time frame? On second thoughts, they do not. I think a definite time frame is a point in time, not a span of time, no mattr how short that is.
Top answer
Anonymous Can you give me some more examples of those that will bring about the conditions that would make the use of a present perfect wrong? The following are all wrong (as shown by *) because of the kinds of conditions you mention. *Jack has been very depressed last year.
- Anonymous Can you give me some more examples of those that will bring about the conditions that would make the use of a present perfect wrong?
- The following are all wrong (as shown by *) because of the kinds of conditions you mention.
- *Jack has been very depressed last year.
- *I have seen that movie in July.
- *Have you seen the note on the door when you arrived home?
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2 Answers
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AnonymousCan you give me some more examples of those that will bring about the conditions that would make the use of a present perfect wrong?The following are all wrong (as shown by *) because of the kinds of conditions you mention.
*Jack has been very depressed last year.
*I have seen that movie in July.
*Have you seen the note on the d
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during lunch time suggests when I had lunch. While not an exact point in time, it suggests a conceptualization as a block of time in the past, its location in the past being more important than the idea of a block of time. The problem in combining these with the present perfect is that they represent a block of time whose limits do not arrive at or overlap with the present
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