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Infinity Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

Present perfect & past perfect tense

0 Dear teachers; 02br
00Please check the following sentences. 02br
02br
00I have been busy for the last two weeks, so I took a day off today. 02br
00Or 02br
00I had been busy for the last two weeks, so I took a day off today. 02br
02br
00Also is it possible to say, 02br
00I have been busy lately, so I decided to take a day off tomorrow. 02br
00Or 02br
00I had been busy lately, so I took a day off last Thursday. 02br
02br
00Or none of above are relevant? 02br
00Thanks in advance. 0-
  

Top answer

0 Only the "have been busy" examples work. 02br 02br 00I have been busy for the last two weeks, so I took a day off today. 02br 02br 00I have been busy lately, so I decided to take a day off tomorrow.

— CalifJim

  • 0 Only the "have been busy" examples work.
  • 02br 02br 00I have been busy for the last two weeks, so I took a day off today.
  • 02br 02br 00I have been busy lately, so I decided to take a day off tomorrow.
  • 02br 02br 00"lately" doesn't go with "had been", so you'd have to change the last one to: 02br 00I had been busy, so I took a day off last Thursday.
  • 02br 02br 00CJ 0-
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8 Answers
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0 Only the "have been busy" examples work. 02br
02br
00I have been busy for the last two weeks, so I took a day off today. 02br
02br
00I have been busy lately, so I decided to take a day off tomorrow. 02br
02br
00"lately" doesn't go with "had been", so you'd have to change the last one to: 02br
00I had been busy, so I took
0
0
0 Thank you very much, CJ. 02br
00A bit confusing to me here is the first sentence. 02br
00I have been busy for the last two weeks, so I took a day off today. 02br
02br
00Doesn’t this mean I am not at my office today? 02br
00What I mean is that the day before this ‘today’ I must have said something like, “I’ve been busy for the last two wee
0
0
0 Dear teachers; 02br
00Please check the following sentences. 02br
02br
001. I have been busy for the last two weeks, so I took a day off today. 02br
00Or 02br
002. I had been busy for the last two weeks, so I took a day off today. 02br
02br
00RanchHand: #1 is fine, but in #2 the 'had' doesn't work. The meaning of "
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0
0 Infinity wrote: 02br
00A bit confusing to me here is the first sentence. 02br
00I have been busy for the last two weeks, so I took a day off today. 02br
02br
00Doesn’t this mean I am not at my office today? 02br
02br
00What I mean is that the day before this ‘today’ I must have said something like, “I’ve been busy for the last
0
0
0 Thak you very much ranchhand! 02br
00I have one more question. When you report what someone said, for instance, 02br
00Tuesday, Kate said this: 02br
00“I have been too busy to do anything for my kids lately, so I decided to take a day off tomorrow.” 02br
02br
00Thursday, if you want to report what she said, can you say 02br
0
0
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0 Thank you very much ranchhand! I have one more question. 02br
02br
00RH: You're very welcome, Infinity. Ask as many as you'd like. 02br
01h2

02h2

01h2

02h2

01h2

02h2

01h2

02h2

00== 02br
00Infinity wrote: 02br
00When you report what someone said, for instance, 02br
00
0
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0 Thanks again, Ranchhand. Actually I’d realized the inconsistency and edited it before your post. 02br
00I perfectly understand that it’s more usual to use Present Perfect + Simple Past on that sentence. 02br
00But I wonder whether the sentences below make sense or not. 02br
02br
00“The burden on the assignment (I have been working on) has gotten
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0 Infinity wrote: 02br
00Thanks again, Ranchhand. 02br
02br
00RH: Again, my pleasure. 02br
02br
00Infinity: 02br
00Actually I’d realized the inconsistency and edited it before your post. 02br
02br
00RH: Perfect use of the past perfect.05002br
02br
02br
00I: 02br
00I p
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