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Jacek From Kwidzyn (Pomesania) Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
simple perfect / present perfect
Hello,
Both of the below sentences or surely correct. Could a native speaker (or any non-native but good English speaking person) tell me when (any context) we can use 1) and 2)? I know present perfect relates to the past and any action it describes presumably ends at the time of speaking. I would just like to feel the usage context better.
thank you in advance,
Jacek
1. With all the work I've had to do, I've not got around to ringing.
2. With all the work I had to do, I did not get around to ringing.
Both of the below sentences or surely correct. Could a native speaker (or any non-native but good English speaking person) tell me when (any context) we can use 1) and 2)? I know present perfect relates to the past and any action it describes presumably ends at the time of speaking. I would just like to feel the usage context better.
thank you in advance,
Jacek
1. With all the work I've had to do, I've not got around to ringing.
2. With all the work I had to do, I did not get around to ringing.
Top answer
Here, the present perfect brings more immediacy to the speaker's complaint. The present perfect in the main clause also suggests more clearly that he may yet ring. The facts the two sentences reveal are identical, however: he did a lot of work, and he didn't ring.
- Here, the present perfect brings more immediacy to the speaker's complaint.
- The present perfect in the main clause also suggests more clearly that he may yet ring.
- The facts the two sentences reveal are identical, however: he did a lot of work, and he didn't ring.
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2 Answers
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Here, the present perfect brings more immediacy to the speaker's complaint. The present perfect in the main clause also suggests more clearly that he may yet ring. The facts the two sentences reveal are identical, however: he did a lot of work, and he didn't ring.
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Your two sentences tell the same story, but from two different points of view.
The first is a present-viewpoint sentence; the second, a past-viewpoint sentence.
At this very moment I have still not rung because I have had so much work to do during this most recent time period. (The situation described here still exists at the moment of speaking.)
Some time ago I did not
The first is a present-viewpoint sentence; the second, a past-viewpoint sentence.
At this very moment I have still not rung because I have had so much work to do during this most recent time period. (The situation described here still exists at the moment of speaking.)
Some time ago I did not
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