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Makiasan Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
she's been in... suggests she is or isn't now
I've read these (1 and 2) on a website by an American ESL teacher:
(1)
She's been in the military for three years.
--- she's in the military now.
(2)
A: Has she been in the military?
B: Yes, she has.
--- She's not in it any more.
I don't know how to tell the difference between 1 and 2. How do you notice whether she is in the military or not?
(3) Has she been in the military for three years?
How about this sentence? Is she in it now?
Thank you.
(1)
She's been in the military for three years.
--- she's in the military now.
(2)
A: Has she been in the military?
B: Yes, she has.
--- She's not in it any more.
I don't know how to tell the difference between 1 and 2. How do you notice whether she is in the military or not?
(3) Has she been in the military for three years?
How about this sentence? Is she in it now?
Thank you.
Top answer
In answer to (3) Yes she is still in the military now.
- In answer to (3) Yes she is still in the military now.
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6 Answers
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Hi
It's an interesting question and I don't think you can tell from the tense alone ...
- Is it true your daughter's a soldier?
- She has been in the military but she's training as a teacher now
I can't think of a simple rule for the tense that uses 'has been'. Sometimes it's still true and sometimes it isn't
Dave
It's an interesting question and I don't think you can tell from the tense alone ...
- Is it true your daughter's a soldier?
- She has been in the military but she's training as a teacher now
I can't think of a simple rule for the tense that uses 'has been'. Sometimes it's still true and sometimes it isn't
Dave
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Hi again
It's the present perfect continuous tense, apparently, and can be used either to tell something that is continuing to happen or to refer to something that has stopped recently but is immediately relevant to what you are saying
I looked it up here ...
It's the present perfect continuous tense, apparently, and can be used either to tell something that is continuing to happen or to refer to something that has stopped recently but is immediately relevant to what you are saying
I looked it up here ...
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Thank you very much for the link, Dave. Are these sentences correct?
When you know that she is not in the military any more,
1. How long was she in the military?
2. Was she in the military for three years?
3. Was she in the military since 2010?
Thank you.
Maki
When you know that she is not in the military any more,
1. How long was she in the military?
2. Was she in the military for three years?
3. Was she in the military since 2010?
Thank you.
Maki
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Hi Maki
1 and 2 are definitely OK
3 would be OK in conversation, but I might write ...
- Had she been in the military since 2010?
Dave
1 and 2 are definitely OK
3 would be OK in conversation, but I might write ...
- Had she been in the military since 2010?
Dave
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