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Guest Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

Was walking / has been walking..?

0 Hello, everyone! I have a question and need your help! 02br
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00I have to change the past sentence #1 into the present one, #2. 02br
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00#1. There was a flower garden outside the window. We could see that someone had been walking in the flower bed. Many of the flower were broken. 02br
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00#2. There is a flower garden outside the window. We can see that someone 00 in the flower bed. Many of the flower are broken. 02br
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02br
00has been walking..? or was walking? If they are both possible, I'd like to know the difference. For example, can I say: if nobody is in the flower garden now, then you should use 00. ??? 0-
  

Top answer

0 Hi guest, 02br 02br 00I'd use "has been walking". The walk has an effect on the present -- the flower stems are broken. 02br 02br 00Just my 2 cents.

— Julielai

  • 0 Hi guest, 02br 02br 00I'd use "has been walking".
  • The walk has an effect on the present -- the flower stems are broken.
  • 02br 02br 00Just my 2 cents.
  • 0-
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3 Answers
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0 Hi guest, 02br
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00I'd use "has been walking". The walk has an effect on the present -- the flower stems are broken. 02br
02br
00Just my 2 cents. 0-
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0 This is actually rather formulaic. was > is; could > can; had > has; were > are. 02br
00There's no reason to make it more complicated than that! 02br
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00CJ 0-
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0 Since we know that "has been walking" is a possibilty and a strong one at that, I'd say that Jim's contention is too simplistic. Life and language are not formulaic. Context and, at least equally as important, what the speaker wishes to relay, would determine language choice. 02br
02br
00There is a flower garden outside the window. We [can] see that someone 00 in the fl
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