0

There are several interpretations of Present Perfect. Couldn't you clarify this one: "past action with indefinite time span"?

From Betty S. Azar, Understanding & Using English Grammar, here is a timeline of the present perfect, which is where I found the description, with another timeline illustrating the present perfect continuous.

present perfect "I have studied Chapter 1. (past action with indefinite time span) / present perfect continuous "I have been studying for two hours." (action began in the past and continues until now)

Improve this question
5

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

We can use the present perfect to discuss an action or actions in the past, which lasted an unspecified amount of time (that is, had an indefinite time span). For example, 'we have talked before'. We are describing something that occurred or was the state of things at an unspecified time in the past.

Present Perfect (Grammarly)

Improve this answer
1
  • That suggests that it is something objective about the event or its time which causes us to use the prefect. But we could equally say We talked before about exactly the same event. The significance of the speaker's choice to use the perfect in that case is that they are choosing to present the event of talking as taking place somewhere in a span of time that stretches through to the present. I presume that that is what is meant by "indefinite time span".
    – Colin Fine
    Apr 2, 2020 at 23:06

You must log in to answer this question.

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