Timeline for Reason of using the present perfect
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
10 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Nov 27, 2019 at 0:05 | answer | added | LawrenceC | timeline score: 1 | |
| Oct 25, 2019 at 15:08 | history | edited | FumbleFingers | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Oct 25, 2019 at 15:05 | comment | added | FumbleFingers | You can't necessarily tell whether the action referenced by Present Perfect has finished or not, except by context. The important thing about this tense usage is it tells you that whatever is being referenced, it started in the past, and has some particular relevance to current time (of utterance). Maybe it's relevant because it's still happening, because it recently stopped, or it's just about to stop. In your context, President Moon wants to emphasize that the situation just changed / is changing / will change soon, but it could be any of those three descriptions. | |
| Oct 25, 2019 at 13:54 | comment | added | Mango Gummy | @FumbleFingers Thank you very much. Then how can I tell whether the action described by the present perfect is finished or not? Should I tell it only by the context instead of the grammar or the structure of the sentence? | |
| Oct 25, 2019 at 13:44 | comment | added | FumbleFingers | Perhaps I chose that "earlier duplicate" in haste. The specific question, “have been” vs “were” looking for more specifically covers your issue ("Both are fine. The difference is in how the speaker is choosing to frame the event in time"). All that means is Present Perfect focuses more on the current situation - because by strong implication that "inability to achieve" is about to or has just transitioned into a new state where we can do whatever we couldn't before. | |
| Oct 25, 2019 at 13:22 | history | edited | Mango Gummy | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Oct 25, 2019 at 13:10 | review | Close votes | |||
| Oct 28, 2019 at 4:07 | |||||
| Oct 25, 2019 at 12:59 | history | edited | Mango Gummy | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Oct 25, 2019 at 12:51 | comment | added | FumbleFingers | Possible duplicate of Canonical Post #2: What is the perfect, and how should I use it? | |
| Oct 25, 2019 at 12:31 | history | asked | Mango Gummy | CC BY-SA 4.0 |