Tenses

Question

In general,all books and all the internet sources give the same information.For instance,I know that Present Perfect is normally used to talk about the unfinished action or the rusult.But I find it hard to refer some cases to particular rules of usages of tenses.Could anyone help with the issue?

Wilpeter · Accepted Answer

Perhaps you will give some examples of your issues, so that we can comment on them.

Teechr · Answer

Show us the sentences you're having trouble with, and we'll do our best to help you.

Edit: cross-posted with wilpeter.

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousI know that Present Perfect is normally used to talk about ~~the~~ an unfinished action or ~~the rusult~~ a result.

Those are two possibilities. There are others. For example, the present perfect tense can be used to talk about one's experiences.

AnonymousI find it hard to refer some cases to particular rules of usages of tenses.

That's because there are usually many different uses for each tense. And it's usually not a matter of rules. It's just the way people use the tenses when they speak or write. Fortunately, it is not necessary to know any particular names of these usages in order to speak and write English. If you are studying on your own, for example, you may wish to establish your own names for different usages. If you are studying the present perfect tense, collect sentences that have the present perfect and see if you can classify them into groups depending how you think the present perfect is being used in each one. You'll probably get a few big groups and some sentences that don't seem to fit in any group. That's just an indicator of how complex English can be.

CJ

Fivejedjon · Answer

CalifJimAnd it's usually not a matter of rules. It's just the way people use the tenses when they speak or write

Precisely.

The 'rules' that one finds in grammar and course books are simply attempts to describe how people actually use tenses. It's the ways people use the tenses that lead to the 'rules', not the other way round.

I, personally, find it useful to thing of the present perfect as a retrospective aspect. Speakers who uses it (subconciously) see themselves as anchored at the present moment of speaking, looking back at a situation that is in some way connected to that moment of speaking.

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