within + present perfect

Question

Hi!I'm confused about the use of 'within' and Present Perfect together. Is the following sentence grammatically correct?Perhaps, they've set up a monument to him within these two months.I just don't know whether 'within' is a time reference in sentences like the one I just wrote.

Pinenut · Accepted Answer

They've set up a monument to him in (over) the past two months.

ReDSanchous · Answer

Yeah, I know that you can use 'in' in that sentence. I am interested to know whether or not 'within' indicates the past in that sentence.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

I just don't know whether 'within' is a time reference in sentences like the one I just wrote.

Yes, 'within' is a time reference. More than 'in', it stresses the setting of limits to the period referenced.

I'll call you back in 5 minutes. But if you call in 10 minutes, I won't be surprised.

I'll call you back within 5 minutes. If you call in 10 minutes, I'll be a bit surprised, because you 'promised' to call within 5.

I haven't seen him in the last 2 months. This is a fairly neutral statement of fact, which doesn't claim great precision. If I knew you'd seen him 7 weeks ago, I wouldn't feel you had misled me.

I haven't seen him within the last 2 months. If I knew you'd seen him 7 weeks ago, I would feel you are wrong. In addition, the deliberate setting of limits to your statement suggest to me that you did see him more than two months ago.

I'm confused about the use of 'within' and Present Perfect together. Is the following sentence grammatically correct?

"Perhaps, they've set up a monument to him within these two months".

Basically, yes, although it sounds a little awkward, and it needs a context, eg

Person A: I'm surprised they haven't honoured him. At the time I went away two months ago, they hadn't done anything at all.

Person B: I don't know. Perhaps they've set up a monument to him within these last two months. 'Last' is more idiomatic here, to stress it's the preceding two months.

Best wishes, Clive

ReDSanchous · Answer

Thank you for the speedy and informative answer! You asked me to provide you with some context. All right, here it is:

I was in Red Square about two months ago and there was definitely no Lenin's statue at the time there. A lot of things might have changed in Red Square since I last was there. Perhaps, they've set up a monument to Lenin within these two months. Who knows?

What about the use of 'within' in this context? According to what you said, 'within' is fine here, isn't it?

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Yes, it's fine.

Are they still setting up statues of Lenin? And not of Gorbachev?

Clive

Pinenut · Answer

ReDSanchousYeah, I know that you can use 'in' in that sentence. I am interested to know whether or not 'within' indicates the past in that sentence.

All I wanted to do was to show the right way you words could be phrased. That also implied you could not use 'within' along with the present perfect tense.

The present perfect tense can only used with a time period that includes the present moment and some point in the past. 'within these two months' means it took less than two months. It does not neccessarily include the present moment.

pine

ReDSanchous · Answer

Pinenut
ReDSanchousYeah, I know that you can use 'in' in that sentence. I am interested to know whether or not 'within' indicates the past in that sentence.

All I wanted to do was to show the right way you words could be phrased. That also implied you could not use 'within' along with the present perfect tense.

The present perfect tense can only used with a time period that includes the present moment and some point in the past. 'within these two months' means it took less than two months. It does not neccessarily include the present moment.

pine

That's strange. Are you a native English speaker, Pinenut? Clive said that that sentence was OK.

Clive, nope. They are no longer setting up statues of either Lenin or Gorbachev. I honestly don't know a single statue of Gorbachev. There are thousands of monuments to Lenin in Russia but I haven't ever seen Gorbachev. Maybe, small statues used as souvenirs? :-) Thanks for the answer.

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