Since + Present Perfect + Present Simple

Question

Please let's have a look at this sentence:

Since he has had cable television installed, Mark watches it all day long.

Is it correct? I was taught to express such things with:
Since + Past Simple + Present Perfect (or Present Perfect Continuous)

In this case:

Since he had cable television installed, Mark has been watching it all day long.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Phrase come with since should be in Simple past tense, the following part is right

Reegis · Answer

Are you sure? Your own sentence does not seem to be right so I am a bit doubtful... When exactly can we use Present Simple after "since"?

I read:

Where even CalifJim gives contradictory verdicts:) Now I am even more curious, could anyone please refer to this topic in general or at least my sample sentence? Does this sentence sound correct to a native speaker?

Reegis · Answer

After reading this thread:
http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/164057-since-present-simple

(btw. can I give links to other forums?)
It dawned on me that this sentence is in fact ambiguous! The word "since" can be interpreted as some point in the past or as the word "because".

So here is my interpretation of the full sentence:
Since he has had cable television installed, Mark watches it all day long.
a) Present Perfect was used to indcate that this event has impact on the present (quite classic usage).
b) Present Simple was used because "since" may mean:
- "from some point in the past onwards";
- "because".

Does this make sense to you?

Please note that I am not a native speaker and completely do not feel what is right or wrong in this context. I am just analyzing it based on my grammar knowledge.

Fivejedjon · Answer

Please try to raise one point at a time and wait for responses before you raise another.

I'll go back to your original question:

ReegisSince he has had cable television installed, Mark watches it all day long.Is it correct?

You will hear sentences like that, but I recommend that you don't use the same combinations of tenses yourself.

ReegisSince he had cable television installed, Mark has been watching it all day long.

That's fine.

Anonymous · Answer

ReegisSince he has had cable television installed, Mark watches it all day long.

In my opinion, the clause following the conjunction "Since" marks the past event, i.e. the moment 'he had cable television installed and from that (past) point in time he has been watching TV all day. It's like saying 'Since he had cable television installed [two years ago], Mark has been watching it all day long.'

CalifJim · Answer

ReegisWhere even CalifJim gives contradictory verdicts:)

Indeed, those answers are contradictory. Some sentences are right or wrong depending on what the writer wants to say, as interpreted by the person answering the question.

It turns out that (2) below is wrong if the writer thinks it means the same as (1), but it's OK, as I see it, if we recognize that it has a different meaning.

(1) Duff has been the best American beer since 1905.
(2) Duff is the best American beer since 1905.

In (1) Duff was best beer in 1905 and has continued to be best until now.
In (2) the newly introduced Duff beer is the best American beer ever to be introduced on the market since 1905.

None of these details came up in the original threads.

CJ

Reegis · Answer

fivejedjonPlease try to raise one point at a time and wait for responses before you raise another.

Yes of course, I am aware that it would be a bad habit and I will avoid this in the future. The only reason why I did this is because I found something new but still relevant to the main thread and thought that it might came in useful for answerers.
Nevertheless, thanks for your advice.

fivejedjonYou will hear sentences like that, but I recommend that you don't use the same combinations of tenses yourself.

Do you mean that such sentences can be sometimes met in the informal language, but they are not correct grammatically?

CalifJimIn (1) Duff was best beer in 1905 and has continued to be best until now.In (2) the newly introduced Duff beer is the best American beer ever to be introduced on the market since 1905.

Wow, I haven't noticed it earlier, but now when you put it this way, it is so clear! I really like your explanations.
What is your opinion about the sentence being investigated in this topic? Can such a construction be correct and justified in some contexts?

CalifJim · Answer

ReegisWhat is your opinion about the sentence being investigated in this topic?

I don't see anything remarkable one way or another about that sentence, but I agree with fivejedjon's first reply on the matter.

CJ

Reegis · Answer

I see, thank you for the answer.

Since + Present Perfect + Present Simple

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