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Djolec Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
Passive voice
While doing some exercises I stumbled upon one sentence which confused me a bit.
This dress________________(wear) by Marilyn Monroe.
I think the sentence should be:
This dress has been worn by Marilyn Monroe.
The reason I think we should use present perfect tense here is because there is no time reference. As far as I know we use present perfect tense to denote indefinite past actions (we don't know when).
A colleague of mine is of different opinion, She thinks that we should use simple past tense.
This dress was worn by Marilyn Monroe.
I disagree with that since we use simple past tense for actions completed in the past when there is direct or indirect time reference.
I would just like to emphasize that this is an individual sentence.
Thank you in advance
This dress________________(wear) by Marilyn Monroe.
I think the sentence should be:
This dress has been worn by Marilyn Monroe.
The reason I think we should use present perfect tense here is because there is no time reference. As far as I know we use present perfect tense to denote indefinite past actions (we don't know when).
A colleague of mine is of different opinion, She thinks that we should use simple past tense.
This dress was worn by Marilyn Monroe.
I disagree with that since we use simple past tense for actions completed in the past when there is direct or indirect time reference.
I would just like to emphasize that this is an individual sentence.
Thank you in advance
Top answer
As you say, present perfect can be used when something happened one or more times in the past, but we don't say (and maybe don't know) when. For example, "He has visited New York several times" or "This painting has been damaged". However, the more remote the event is from the present, and the less influence the event has on the present state or situation, the less likely the present perfect is to be used.
- As you say, present perfect can be used when something happened one or more times in the past, but we don't say (and maybe don't know) when.
- For example, "He has visited New York several times" or "This painting has been damaged".
- However, the more remote the event is from the present, and the less influence the event has on the present state or situation, the less likely the present perfect is to be used.
- Because Marilyn Monroe is now dead, and events concerning her have receded into history, and also because there is unlikely to be any remaining physical indication that she wore it, the simple past seems a better fit.
- "This dress has been worn by Marylin Monroe", while not totally impossible, feels slightly as if she has just taken it off and it needs washing, or something like that.
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1 Answers
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As you say, present perfect can be used when something happened one or more times in the past, but we don't say (and maybe don't know) when. For example, "He has visited New York several times" or "This painting has been damaged". However, the more remote the event is from the present, and the less influence the event has on the present state or situation, the less likely the present perfect is to
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