I’ve already searched a lot on the web, but still can’t figure out one specific example. For instance: Mary has been to England twice. Alice has been to the cinema twice this week. (= The week is still not over) I completely understand why we use the present perfect in the above sentences. But here … Read more
By definition, past perfect simple tense “expresses an action taking place before a certain time in the past”. I have a hard time to understand why Terry Pratchett used it in the sentence: “The scythe that had done the work leaned against the gnarled bole of a pear tree.” Can I kindly ask for an … Read more
Take a look at the psychological resultatives: (1) a. Facebook’s apps have annoyed me into not using them. b. The lines of the prose are what fascinated me into making the painting. c. Staff did not look happy. Almost depressed me out of buying a sandwich. Are they punctual or gradual events? Are the following … Read more
What is the tense of the verb in the sentence? He is beaten. And what is its aspect? Answer Some grammars regard aspect in English as the distinction between progressive (also known as continuous) aspect and simple (or non-progressive). Others regard the perfect as an aspect, providing a four-way distinction: simple, perfect, progressive, and progressive … Read more
I know both of them are categorized under aspect, but do imperfective refer to "was doing" and perfective refer to "have done"? Then how about "have been doing" and "is doing"? What do they belong to? Answer Different grammarians categorise things differently: In traditional grammar and many EFL/ESL courses, constructions such as the present perfect … Read more
I have a question about nuance. Often a question like “Have you run today”? is used to encourage someone to do something or to express you want them to do something. “Have you been running?” is used when you see the results, for example the person is sweating, panting, etc. I want to know which … Read more
This is from a grammar book about aspect: “What have you been doing today?” or “What have you done today?” The best reply in both cases is in the same form as the question, but a present perfect simple reply to a present perfect continuous question shows that the job has been finished when it … Read more
So I’m writing a book and English is not my native language. As I’ve gotten deeper into the writing process I noticed that I’m almost randomly choosing between past tenses without making much logic (which I realized 20 pages into the book). Therefore, I started relearning all the English tenses in an attempt to proofread … Read more
Take a look at the sentence: I has understood subject only after had watched this video. I had been thinking what it is something different. So there is 3 successive time-points: think → watch → understand (all before “now”) What time I should use? How does meaning changes for Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Past Perfect … Read more
Is he still smoking? vs Does he still smoke? Which aspect would be correct, progessive or simple? In my opinion, the first question sounds somehow better, however, I think the second question is grammatically more correct, as smoking is a habit simple aspect should be used… Answer They are both grammatically correct. “Does he still … Read more
