IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH (6) – PAST OR PRESENT PERFECT TENSE?
发表于 : 周一 4月 09, 2012 5:28 pm
DO YOU WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH (6) – PAST TENSE过去式/时态 OR PRESENT PERFECT TENSE现在完成式?
Which sentence is correct?
1. I had my supper at 8:30. (Past tense, ‘had’ is used.)
2. I have had my supper at 8:30. (Present perfect tense, ‘have had’ is used.)
If you are not sure which is wrong, read on. We use BOTH past tense (PT) and present perfect tense (PPT) to say things we did in the past. But the meanings are different.
Example 1
When you are taking your friend back to the place where you lived when you were young, you point at a building and say, ‘I lived there’. You use PT to show that you lived there in the past, but no longer do so now.
Example 2
Your friend calls on you in your university and you are showing her around. You point at an old building you are walking past and say, ‘I lived here when I first entered the university’. Then you point at a new building across the street and say, ‘I moved there last year, and have lived there since’.
First, you use ‘lived’ and ‘moved’ (PT) because the actions行为of living in the old building and moving to the new building were done and completed完成in the past. Then, you use ‘have lived’ (PPT) to show that the action of living in the new building started in the past and has continued延续till the present现在. This is one use of PPT – for actions which were started in the past and have continued till the present.
Like PT, PPT can also be used for a completed past action. But when we do so, we mean the action, though completed in the past, is related 有联系to the present.
Example 3
John: Would you like a hamburger汉堡包?
Joe : No, thank you. I’ve had my supper.
Joe had his supper before he meets John. Instead of saying, ‘I had my supper’, Joe says, ‘I’ve had my supper’ (= I have had, PPT) to show why he does not want a hamburger. This is another use of PPT - to show that an action is related 有联系to the present, though it was done and completed in the past.
We may not say clearly when the action was done. For example:
a. I lived there. (In Example 1, it is clear you lived there in the past as you are only travelling there.)
b. Joe: No thank you. I’ve had my supper. (In Example 3, Joe just wants to say why he doesn’t want a hamburger.)
But if we wish to tell people when an action was done in the past, we use PT + a point of time in the past过去的一个时间or a period of time一段时间 in the past.
Example 4
a. I lived there when I was young. (a period of time in the past)
b. I lived there three years ago. (a point of time in the past)
c. I lived there in 1999. (a point of time in the past)
d. I lived there from 1995 to 1999. (a period of time in the past)
If we wish to show when an action, which has continued till the present, first happened in the past, we use PPT + since + a point of time in the past
Example 5
I have lived there since 2009. (= I first started living there in 2009, and I am still living there now.)
If we wish to show how long an action has continued from the past to the present, we use PPT + for + a period of time一段时间
Example 6
I have lived there for 3 years. (= I have lived there for a period of 3 years, and I am still living there now.)
By now, I hope you see that Sentence (1) at the beginning of this article is correct. Sentence (2) is wrong, because you use 'PPT + since + a point of time' when you tell people at what time an action was done in the past.
From all the examples given, you should also see that the use of PPT may not mean an action was done later or closer to the present than the use of PT. It depends on the point of time or period of time used with the verb.
Example 7
a. I moved there last month.
b. I have lived there for 3 years.
Summary
1. If you want to tell people what happened or what someone did in the past, use PT.
2. If you want to show that a past action is related to the present, or has continued till the present, use PPT.
3. If you want to show when a past action first happened and has continued to the present, use ‘PPT + since + a point of time
in the past’过去的一个时间.
4. If you want to show how long an action has continued from the past to the present, use ‘PPT + for + a period of time’一段
时间 in the past.
5. If you clearly say at what time an action was done in the past without adding the word ‘since’, use PT, don’t use PPT.
The following exercises can help you remember when and how to use PT and PPT.
Choose the correct tense and ‘for’ or ‘since’ in the following sentences. Roll to the end for answers.
1. I (have won/won) the table-tennis match yesterday.
2. Jack: Mother, I (have finished/finished) my homework. (Can/Could) I watch TV now?
3. Jane’s English is very good because she (has studied/studied) in the English Department (for/since) three years.
4. Life (has been/was) very different forty years ago.
5. Joe (has played/played) basketball (for/since) a long time. He (has started/started) playing when he (has been/was) in
primary school.
6. Peter can show us around Beijing because he (has worked/worked) there (for/since) 1999.
7. Mary (has moved/moved) to Guangzhou three weeks ago.
8. I went to Hong Kong for holiday in May. Where (have you gone/did you go)?
9. We (haven’t gone/didn’t go) anywhere for a holiday last month.
10. Where (have you been/were you) on Sunday afternoon?
11. Ann is in the classroom. She (has been/was) there (for/since) 7 o’clock.
12. Many people (have lived/lived) in those houses in the past. But they (have been/were) empty (for/since) many years.
Write to me if you have other problems on the use of English.
Uncle Leung
Liangfuji, or Uncle Leung had been a vice-principal and senior secondary English teacher for 36 years before he retired two years ago. He holds a BA degree in English (HK Chinese University), an MEd degree in teach of English (HK University) and 3 post graduate certificates of education from the two HK universities and Wolverhampton University in England. Uncle Leung is also the co-writer of two English textbooks for senior secondary students in Hong Kong.
Answer: 1 (won), 2 (have finished/can), 3 (has studied/for), 4 (was), 5 (has played/for/started/was) 6 (has worked/since), 7 (moved), 8 (did you go), 9 (didn’t go), 10 (were you), 11 (has been/since), 12 (lived/have been/for)
Which sentence is correct?
1. I had my supper at 8:30. (Past tense, ‘had’ is used.)
2. I have had my supper at 8:30. (Present perfect tense, ‘have had’ is used.)
If you are not sure which is wrong, read on. We use BOTH past tense (PT) and present perfect tense (PPT) to say things we did in the past. But the meanings are different.
Example 1
When you are taking your friend back to the place where you lived when you were young, you point at a building and say, ‘I lived there’. You use PT to show that you lived there in the past, but no longer do so now.
Example 2
Your friend calls on you in your university and you are showing her around. You point at an old building you are walking past and say, ‘I lived here when I first entered the university’. Then you point at a new building across the street and say, ‘I moved there last year, and have lived there since’.
First, you use ‘lived’ and ‘moved’ (PT) because the actions行为of living in the old building and moving to the new building were done and completed完成in the past. Then, you use ‘have lived’ (PPT) to show that the action of living in the new building started in the past and has continued延续till the present现在. This is one use of PPT – for actions which were started in the past and have continued till the present.
Like PT, PPT can also be used for a completed past action. But when we do so, we mean the action, though completed in the past, is related 有联系to the present.
Example 3
John: Would you like a hamburger汉堡包?
Joe : No, thank you. I’ve had my supper.
Joe had his supper before he meets John. Instead of saying, ‘I had my supper’, Joe says, ‘I’ve had my supper’ (= I have had, PPT) to show why he does not want a hamburger. This is another use of PPT - to show that an action is related 有联系to the present, though it was done and completed in the past.
We may not say clearly when the action was done. For example:
a. I lived there. (In Example 1, it is clear you lived there in the past as you are only travelling there.)
b. Joe: No thank you. I’ve had my supper. (In Example 3, Joe just wants to say why he doesn’t want a hamburger.)
But if we wish to tell people when an action was done in the past, we use PT + a point of time in the past过去的一个时间or a period of time一段时间 in the past.
Example 4
a. I lived there when I was young. (a period of time in the past)
b. I lived there three years ago. (a point of time in the past)
c. I lived there in 1999. (a point of time in the past)
d. I lived there from 1995 to 1999. (a period of time in the past)
If we wish to show when an action, which has continued till the present, first happened in the past, we use PPT + since + a point of time in the past
Example 5
I have lived there since 2009. (= I first started living there in 2009, and I am still living there now.)
If we wish to show how long an action has continued from the past to the present, we use PPT + for + a period of time一段时间
Example 6
I have lived there for 3 years. (= I have lived there for a period of 3 years, and I am still living there now.)
By now, I hope you see that Sentence (1) at the beginning of this article is correct. Sentence (2) is wrong, because you use 'PPT + since + a point of time' when you tell people at what time an action was done in the past.
From all the examples given, you should also see that the use of PPT may not mean an action was done later or closer to the present than the use of PT. It depends on the point of time or period of time used with the verb.
Example 7
a. I moved there last month.
b. I have lived there for 3 years.
Summary
1. If you want to tell people what happened or what someone did in the past, use PT.
2. If you want to show that a past action is related to the present, or has continued till the present, use PPT.
3. If you want to show when a past action first happened and has continued to the present, use ‘PPT + since + a point of time
in the past’过去的一个时间.
4. If you want to show how long an action has continued from the past to the present, use ‘PPT + for + a period of time’一段
时间 in the past.
5. If you clearly say at what time an action was done in the past without adding the word ‘since’, use PT, don’t use PPT.
The following exercises can help you remember when and how to use PT and PPT.
Choose the correct tense and ‘for’ or ‘since’ in the following sentences. Roll to the end for answers.
1. I (have won/won) the table-tennis match yesterday.
2. Jack: Mother, I (have finished/finished) my homework. (Can/Could) I watch TV now?
3. Jane’s English is very good because she (has studied/studied) in the English Department (for/since) three years.
4. Life (has been/was) very different forty years ago.
5. Joe (has played/played) basketball (for/since) a long time. He (has started/started) playing when he (has been/was) in
primary school.
6. Peter can show us around Beijing because he (has worked/worked) there (for/since) 1999.
7. Mary (has moved/moved) to Guangzhou three weeks ago.
8. I went to Hong Kong for holiday in May. Where (have you gone/did you go)?
9. We (haven’t gone/didn’t go) anywhere for a holiday last month.
10. Where (have you been/were you) on Sunday afternoon?
11. Ann is in the classroom. She (has been/was) there (for/since) 7 o’clock.
12. Many people (have lived/lived) in those houses in the past. But they (have been/were) empty (for/since) many years.
Write to me if you have other problems on the use of English.
Uncle Leung
Liangfuji, or Uncle Leung had been a vice-principal and senior secondary English teacher for 36 years before he retired two years ago. He holds a BA degree in English (HK Chinese University), an MEd degree in teach of English (HK University) and 3 post graduate certificates of education from the two HK universities and Wolverhampton University in England. Uncle Leung is also the co-writer of two English textbooks for senior secondary students in Hong Kong.
Answer: 1 (won), 2 (have finished/can), 3 (has studied/for), 4 (was), 5 (has played/for/started/was) 6 (has worked/since), 7 (moved), 8 (did you go), 9 (didn’t go), 10 (were you), 11 (has been/since), 12 (lived/have been/for)