Timeline for Difference between "We are married for 5 years" and "We have been married for 5 years"
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
6 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2015 at 7:03 | comment | added | Peter Wone | @snailboat - "I walk to work every day" isn't anchored in time. I think you'll find it does refer to an hypothetical instantaneous present, the time of walking, whenever it happens to be. In your other example, "The Lakers [will] play the Spurs tomorrow" you have omitted the auxiliary verb in an idiomatic form that is American, not English. I'm not convinced that this is really present simple. | |
| May 21, 2015 at 6:37 | comment | added | Peter Wone | The key insight here is that present simple is usually used in a sense that could be characterised as instantaneous; it speaks only of right now. Curiously, present perfect does not necessarily describe the present. Saying "I have been happy." implies that I have ceased to be happy because I have avoided using the shorter present simple "I am happy". As a general rule-of-thumb people use the shortest form that fits. On the other hand, snailboat's examples are also valid idiom and equally common in use. | |
| May 21, 2015 at 5:18 | comment | added | user230 | @PeterWone It's not actually true that the present simple necessarily describes an instantaneous situation or that it speaks only of right now. "I walk to work every day." "The Lakers play the Spurs tomorrow." "I laugh whenever she makes a joke." "The earth revolves around the sun." | |
| May 20, 2015 at 21:56 | comment | added | gerol2000 | I've just come across the1st in 'When Harry Met Sally' used, as it seems to me, in nonstandard register.) | |
| May 20, 2015 at 21:52 | comment | added | gerol2000 | Many thanks to all for the full treatment of the subject. | |
| May 20, 2015 at 21:36 | history | answered | saintjules | CC BY-SA 3.0 |