Question. Present Perfect

Question

Hi teachers,Do all these present perfect sentences suggest the possibility of repeating in the future the mentioned action?a) Sharon has studied Spanish every week.b) Sharon has sometimes studied Spanish.c) Sharon has studied Spanish this week.I know that 'c' does. What about 'a' and 'b'?Thanks in advance

Holyduke · Accepted Answer

With so far and many times... It gives a strong sense that things/actions will happen again.

She has had 10 tests so far this semester.

He has used this tool many times.

When I read the sentence "Sharon has studied Spanish this week." I automatically think Sharon will soon have a Spanish test. I didn't think that in the future the action will be repeated. The present perfects means something started in the past and ended in the past but with a connection with the present, so you need something like so far, many times, regularly and the such to give the indication of repetition in the future.

Sentence A "Sharon has studied Spanish every week." I don't like it

If you want to say it is a past habit, use "used to"

If Sharon continues to do so, use present simple. Using present perfect just doesn't seem right to me.

There are limited cases where I'd use such a construction:

Sharon has studied Spanish every week for years, so she'll have no language barrier when she goes to Spain/Mexico.

[past habit of studying Spanish (but no longer studying Spanish every week - my definition of present perfect is started and ended in the past with present effect) with a present effect where she needs to use Spanish]

Sharon has been studying Spanish every week for her trip to Spain/Mexico.

[If you want to say that she started studying Spanish a while ago and continues to do so now and possibly in the future, use the present perfect continuous]

Tenacious Learner · Answer

Hi holyduke,

I'm really confused about the Present Perfect. I've been looking at some books, seen web pages, amd I still can't find proper rules. Each one says different things.

Even though I really like these pages:

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfect.html

http://www.headsupenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=290&Itemid=95

Back to the examples:

a) Sharon has studied Spanish every week so far.

b) Sharon has sometimes studied Spanish this week.

c) Sharon has studied Spanish many times this week.

d) Sharon has studied Spanish four times this week.

You mean the sentences should have adverbs of frequency, number, or quantity in order to have a complete meaning with the present time marker 'this week'?

The idiom 'so far' is used to suggest that she may study again in the future?

Thank you

TS

Holyduke · Answer

a) Sharon has studied Spanish every week(day/month) so far (for *** years/months). with this construction, its most likely that she will continue to study Spanish every week.

The sentence "Sharon has studied Spanish this week." works perfectly fine. The frequency and adverbs of time just emphasize the sentence.

All of them have something linked to now -->

1) Sharon needs her skill in Spanish to pass tests, interviews, work related stuff that require the usage of Spanish.

2) Sharon continues to study Spanish (possibly) less obvious than meaning #1.

b) Sharon has sometimes studied Spanish this week. (with "this week" you shouldn't put a frequency adverb with it

or if you keep the freq. adv. then drop "this week" and put something like [while she was in school])

c) Sharon has studied Spanish many times this week. (ok, I see two possible meanings-see above)

d) Sharon has studied Spanish four times this week. (My "personal" feeling is that this is less likely to hold meaning #2)

Question. Present Perfect

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