1

How do we know recent and present

I know that present perfect can use present situation and recent action but what I am confused is how to divide them that native speaker is speaking present or recent, how we can know easily? For example

"I have been busy that I have taken an exam for joining speaking class recently."

In this context I used the key word recently to show recent action and actually right now I am not busy and I already did take exam and I am telling recent action by using present perfect as per grammar, what I did.

"I have been busy that I have taken an exam for joining speaking class."

If I omit recently, I will understand that that context means right now I am taking the exam and I am busy, because present perfect show present situation.

My question is - will a native speaker, use to clear the situation present or recent, by using key words recently, lately, of late or how have you been with present perfect? I can easily understand completed action and experiential action but I can't understand how to divide present or recent.

Improve this question
2
  • 2
    You can't say "I have been busy that...". A native speaker would probably say "I've been [very] busy recently [because] I took an exam on Friday..." (I'm not sure what an 'exam for joining speaking class' is!)
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Jun 1 at 8:29
  • Yes Madam! Just example level test @Kate Bunting
    – Thamilay
    Commented Jun 1 at 9:17

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2

I know that present perfect can use present situation...

This is not how I would describe it. The perfect forms of a tense primarily refer to the past, but may or may not be still true in the present. This is illustrated by your example. Compare these two sentences:

  1. I have been busy preparing for tomorrow's exam.
  2. I have been busy preparing for yesterday's exam.

With both sentences the form of the tense is the same. However in sentence (1) I may still be busy preparing; in sentence (2) I am no longer busy.

So to answer your specific question, it's not possible from the tense alone to tell if the past action is still happening in the present or the recent past. That element is determined from the overall context of the sentence. In my examples that context is provided by the words 'yesterday' and 'tomorrow'; in your example, by the word 'recently'.

If I omit recently I will understand that that context mean right now I take the exam and I am busy, because present perfect show present situation.

This is not correct. Removing recently simply means that the period is uncertain. "I have been busy preparing for the exam" now has no marker to indicate whether or not I am still busy.

Improve this answer
7
  • 2
    Your example 2 seems strange because if you took the exam yesterday you should not be busy anymore today and I think using past simple or past perfect would be better
    – Yves Lefol
    Commented Jun 1 at 12:09
  • 1
    People keep talking about which tense would be better or correct. Often that's the wrong question. We should ask, what tense do I choose to communicate what I want to say? "I was busy preparing for yesterday's exam" is entirely correct, but it doesn't mean the same thing as "I have been busy..."
    – Peter Kirkpatrick
    Commented Jun 1 at 13:37
  • 1
    For example, compare these sentences: (1) "On Saturday I was busy preparing for yesterday's exam, so I didn't answer your phone call." (2) Over the last two weeks I have been busy preparing for yesterday's exam, and I am exhausted. I'm glad it's over!"
    – Peter Kirkpatrick
    Commented Jun 1 at 13:43
  • 1
    yes your second example is clearer for me because now there is a present result I am exhausted
    – Yves Lefol
    Commented Jun 1 at 14:05
  • Thank you @Peter Kirkpatric
    – Thamilay
    Commented Jun 2 at 0:22

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .