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Pleasehelp Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

Simple past help

Setting: Meeting up and waiting for a friend. She finally arrives.

I have been waiting for a long time!

I had been waiting for a long time!

Please explain reason of usage.

Is this sentence ok? We just arrived at a new restaurant and my bf asks, Have you eaten/ate here before?
  

Top answer

As soon as you see her, you say: Finally! I've been waiting so long! You use the present tense because there is no reason to use the past perfect unless there is a past reference point.

— Kooyeen

  • As soon as you see her, you say: Finally!
  • I've been waiting so long!
  • You use the present tense because there is no reason to use the past perfect unless there is a past reference point.
  • The reference point is the moment she arrived, which can still be seen as "now".
  • You arrive to the restaurant, and he asks: Have you eaten here before?
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2 Answers
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As soon as you see her, you say:
Finally! I've been waiting so long!
You use the present tense because there is no reason to use the past perfect unless there is a past reference point. The reference point is the moment she arrived, which can still be seen as "now".

You arrive to the restaurant, and he asks:
Have you eaten here before?
I don't know why some
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have been - There's no other action that the waiting occurred before, so had won't work.

have you eaten - have you ate is just plain wrong. ate can't be used after have.

CJ
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