1

I have read somewhere that the production of push-button mobile phones has started to come down in 2010. However, two days ago I have heard one manufacturing firm begin to put out such phones with renewed energy first time in almost 10 years for the reasons of security.

Isn't the Present Perfect being misused in "I have read" and "I have heard"?

Improve this question
4
  • The first use is natural since there is no time detail. For the second use I would expect the past simple since the time is explicitly stated a the beginning (two days ago). However, it seems the author, in both cases, emphasises their experience making the statements look more convincing (?).
    – Andrew Tobilko
    Apr 8, 2021 at 10:04
  • "However, two days ago I heard one manufacturing firm begin etc. have read and heard is correct in your sentences.
    – Lambie
    Apr 8, 2021 at 13:29
  • 1
    @Lambie Is it OK using the infinitive "begin" and "has started" (not the Simple Past - "started", taking into consideration an indicator of past time: "in 2010")?
    – Eugene
    Apr 8, 2021 at 15:00
  • verbs: have read//heard//began///to put out phones such as these or like these. To put out such phones sounds like a foreigner.
    – Lambie
    Apr 8, 2021 at 15:26

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

I'm not sure what you mean by "at about 2010" in the first sentence. The sentence is fine if you replace "at about" with "since about", but not if you replace it with "in about". ("At" can't be used for years. It can be used for prices, but a price doesn't seem to work in this sentence, as it's discussing production levels rather than price levels.)

  • I have read somewhere that the production of push-button mobile phones has started to come down since about 2010. -- Correct - although "I read" would also work and would perhaps be preferable.
  • *I have read somewhere that the production of push-button mobile phones has started to come down in about 2010. -- Wrong: should say "started" (or "had started"), not "has started".

The following is wrong:

  • *Two days ago I have heard one manufacturing firm begin to put out such phones with renewed energy first time in almost 10 years for the reasons of security.

The presence of "two days ago" means that you should use the simple past "I heard". Secondly, "begin" is wrong here, because "heard ... begin" would imply that you had heard them begin (i.e. you were present and had heard the actual production start), rather than that you heard that they had begun. So it should be:

  • Two days ago I heard (that) one manufacturing firm had begun to put out such phones with renewed energy for the first time in almost 10 years for reasons of security.
Improve this answer
1
  • 1
    Thank you. It was meant to be "...in the year 2010", so the Simple Past is grammatical. With "begin" it is also a very interesting inference. I didn't think of this peculiarity. In my pattern it sounds truly ludicrous, as if I had heard them begin hammering the first phone into shape.
    – Eugene
    Apr 8, 2021 at 11:49

You must log in to answer this question.

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