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Paul_h Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
past and present perfect
Hi,
Once again a question concerning past and present perfect tense. I didn't agree with my friends when we wrote a sentence about a web application.
Shoult it be
The web pages were translated into 5 different languages.
or
The web pages have been translated into 5 different languages.
I don't even quite get the difference between those sentences. The one in past tense implies that the translation progress happened in the past and is over. The pages are available in many languages. The one in present perfect tense states that the process of translation happened at some point in the past, right? The point is unspecified. Where's the difference in meaning?
Paul
Once again a question concerning past and present perfect tense. I didn't agree with my friends when we wrote a sentence about a web application.
Shoult it be
The web pages were translated into 5 different languages.
or
The web pages have been translated into 5 different languages.
I don't even quite get the difference between those sentences. The one in past tense implies that the translation progress happened in the past and is over. The pages are available in many languages. The one in present perfect tense states that the process of translation happened at some point in the past, right? The point is unspecified. Where's the difference in meaning?
Paul
Top answer
This probably doesn't answer your question. I don't think there's any difference in meaning. But I feel the present perfect is the clear choice for your application.
- This probably doesn't answer your question.
- I don't think there's any difference in meaning.
- But I feel the present perfect is the clear choice for your application.
- You're in the process (present) of describing what you've [recently] done.
- The implication (to me) of the present perfect is that the translating has been [recently] done for the purposes of your application.
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4 Answers
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This probably doesn't answer your question.
I don't think there's any difference in meaning. But I feel the present perfect is the clear choice for your application. You're in the process (present) of describing what you've [recently] done. The implication (to me) of the present perfect is that the translating has been [recently] done for the purposes of your application.
If
I don't think there's any difference in meaning. But I feel the present perfect is the clear choice for your application. You're in the process (present) of describing what you've [recently] done. The implication (to me) of the present perfect is that the translating has been [recently] done for the purposes of your application.
If
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Are you mostly concerned with telling the story of the translation? For example, was the translation a step in a larger process? Use were translated.
A was done. (Then) B was done. (Then) C was done. ...
Are you mostly concerned with the current availabiilty of the translations? Use have been translated.
A was done. (Then) B was done. (Then) C was done. ...
Are you mostly concerned with the current availabiilty of the translations? Use have been translated.
paul_hWhere's the difference in meaning?
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Thanks a lot.
Past vs. Preset Perfect is really the thing bugging me most about the English language.
Past vs. Preset Perfect is really the thing bugging me most about the English language.
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paul_hthe thing bugging me mostIt's a common complaint. There are too many subcategories of usage that seem to contradict one another. It takes a while to catch on to all the different ways the two tenses are used.
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