"Since" with present tense??

Question

Hello,"She doesn't come to see us since her marriage."What I think: The use of the present tense here is absolutely incorrect. We should say: "She hasn't come to see us since her marriage." Or at least: "She doesn’t come to see us now that she is married".But some persons argued that we CAN use the present tense, meaning she didn’t come anymore to see us after her marriage, she changed her habits...What do you think, please?Thanks a lot.

Yoong Liat · Accepted Answer

Geniseta
Hello,

"She doesn't come to see us since her marriage."

What I think: The use of the present tense here is absolutely incorrect. We should say: "She hasn't come to see us since her marriage." Or at least: "She doesn’t come to see us now that she is married".

But some persons argued that we CAN use the present tense, meaning she didn’t come anymore to see us after her marriage, she changed her habits...

What do you think, please?

Thanks a lot.

I agree with you. The word 'since' should be used with a verb in the present perfect tense because it refers to the fact that her not coming to see us started since her marriage and has not ended.

She doesn’t come to see us now that she is married. I also agree this is correct English.

Pieanne · Answer

She hasn't come to visit us since her wedding (on July 7th) > OK

She hasn't come to visit us since she got married > OK

"Since" introduces either a complement referring to a precise moment in the past, or a time clause referring to a precise moment in the past (simple past). In those cases, the main clause is in the present perfect tense.

"Since" can also mean +/- "because". "She won't come with us, since she's sick".

But then it has nothing to do with time, and you don't have to use it with the simple past.

Geniseta · Answer

Thank you both.

I searched a bit more and found this in this book "How English Works" (Oxford):

"A present tense is sometimes used in the main clause to talk about changes. "
And they gave as an example: She looks quite different since her illness.

Is it a mistake? If not, is it natural for Native speakers to sometimes use "since" like that?

Clive · Answer

Hi,

is it natural for Native speakers to sometimes use "since" like that?

Yes. It's very natural and extremely common.

Best wishes, Clive

Geniseta · Answer

Wow, this is really new to me. So I had to wait for so long to know that!

Thanks a lot Clive. Very kind of you all to help this way.

Anonymous · Answer

I agreed with Clive nevertheless,in my opinion, it is grammatical incorrect.

Canadian45 · Answer

GenisetaHel
"She doesn't come to see us since her marriage."

There is absolutely nothing grammatically wrong with the above sentence.

Since her marriage, she doesn't come to see us. also [Y]

But there are some speakers of British English who are overly fond of present perfect tense, to the point that they would insist that only perfect tense is correct in sentences like the above.

But other British speakers and speakers of 'American' English disagree with them.

"Since" with present tense??

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions