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Park sang joon Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

The past tense compatible with the present perfect tense

Now which movie-lover doesn't love the following: You walk into a theater having absolutely no expectations whatsoever concerning the film you're about to watch. Then you walk out, approximately 90 minutes later, deeply impressed about what you've just seen on the big screen. Shamefully, I have to admit that my case was even a bit worse (and therefore the experience was even a bit better): I already had some expectations walking into that theater, and they weren't very optimistic. I assumed a film with a premise like THE UNGODLY could be either very good or it would just suck big-time. Nothing in-between. Just to be on the safe side, I was betting on the latter. Never was I so foolishly wrong. THE UNGODLY can easily be considered as one of the best movies about a serial killer to come out over the last 20 years (or even longer, if you take in consideration excellent movies like DERANGED and HENRY: A PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER).

< "Let the godless kill..." http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489318/reviews?ref_=tt_urv >

I have extracted some from one of reviews about "THE UNGODLY" on IMDB.
I know sometimes I can use the past tense in place of the present perfect tense.
In my example, "Never was I so foolishly wrong" has quite different meaning depending on whether the tens is the past tense or the present perfect tense.
So, I'd like to know whether in the underlined sentence, the past tense takes the place of the present perfect tense.
Thank you in advance for your help.
  

Top answer

park sang joon In my example, "Never was I so foolishly wrong" has quite different meaning depending on whether the tens is the past tense or the present perfect tense. Not so different, really. In fact.

— Mister Micawber

  • park sang joon In my example, "Never was I so foolishly wrong" has quite different meaning depending on whether the tens is the past tense or the present perfect tense.
  • Not so different, really.
  • In fact.
  • we have many threads here with confused students and lengthy explanations on the topic.
  • park sang joon So, I'd like to know whether in the underlined sentence, the past tense takes the place of the present perfect tense.
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6 Answers
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park sang joonIn my example, "Never was I so foolishly wrong" has quite different meaning depending on whether the tens is the past tense or the present perfect tense.
Not so different, really. In fact. we have many threads here with confused students and lengthy explanations on the topic.
park sang joonSo, I'd like to know whether in
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Thank you, Mr.Micawber, for your valuable answer. Emotion: smile

Not so different, really.
I thought the past ten
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park sang joonI thought the past tense mostly expresses only one occasion in the past whereas the present perfect tense expresses the repeated occasions until now.
Not quite and not only, but you have the right idea; however, there is often little difference in what the speaker intends to say. For instance, 'I never saw a purple cow' and 'I've never seen a pu
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Thank you Mr.Micawber for your very valuable answer. Emotion: smile

I meant "supersede."— Now I'm really confused.
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park sang joonI meant "be replaced by/ replace" by "supersede."
Ah. Then yes. 'Supersede' suggests some superiority.
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'Supersede' suggests some superiority.
I didn't know; Thank you for the knowledge.Emotion: smile
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