0
Optimus Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
Should I use simple past here, or present perfect?
Venerable teachers,
Hello.
Are these sentences grammatically correct?
A. It's been a while since we last talked.
B. It's been a while since we talked.
C. It's been a while since we have talked.
Between B and C, which would you use? What's the difference in meaning?
Thank you
Hello.
Are these sentences grammatically correct?
A. It's been a while since we last talked.
B. It's been a while since we talked.
C. It's been a while since we have talked.
Between B and C, which would you use? What's the difference in meaning?
Thank you
Top answer
I would use (only) B. I wouldn't use present perfect with "since". "Since" implies "since the moment when ", and thus refers to a specific moment in the past.
- I would use (only) B.
- I wouldn't use present perfect with "since".
- "Since" implies "since the moment when ", and thus refers to a specific moment in the past.
- I would use the simple past after "since".
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
2 Answers
0
I would use (only) B. I wouldn't use present perfect with "since". "Since" implies "since the moment when", and thus refers to a specific moment in the past. I would use the simple past after "since".
00
Hello Optimus
'Since' is a preposition/conjunction to indicate a time point at which a time duration begins. Because in English, an event occurring at a time point in the past is commonly expressed in the past tense, <since past> is grammatically better than <since present perfect>. However, many native speakers nowadays somehow have a tendency to use <since present perfect
'Since' is a preposition/conjunction to indicate a time point at which a time duration begins. Because in English, an event occurring at a time point in the past is commonly expressed in the past tense, <since past> is grammatically better than <since present perfect>. However, many native speakers nowadays somehow have a tendency to use <since present perfect
0
Related Questions