Perfect : 'I have lived in London'

Question

It is sometimes confusing when someone use the present perfect without any time expressions, like :

"I have lived in London."

What does this sentence actually mean?

1. showing past event related to a present result. 'I once lived in London, so I am acquainted with London.' (The speaker may or may not live in London now), like :

'I have broken my arm, so I cannot play the piano now.'

2. showing the continuity of his living there up to now, like the present perfect progressive, like ;

I've known him for 10 years.

3. Or both meaning possible?

Thanks in advance.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Quote

It is sometimes confusing when someone use the present perfect without any time expressions, like :

"I have lived in London."

What does this sentence actually mean?

With the present perfect tense the past time situation is understood to have some kind of current relevance, i.e. relevance to the present. In your example, where there is no time adjunct, the natural interpretation would be that we are concerned with your past experience as it affects your status now: some past experience of yours at some indefinite time puts you in the present state of being among a class of people who have lived in London.

The meaning changes somewhat if you add a time adjunct e.g. I have lived in London for five years, Now the connection with the present is that you are still living in London. The same applies to the other two examples you cite: at the time of speaking/writing your arm is still broken / you still know \yshim.

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J

Perfect : 'I have lived in London'

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