When someone says "I've enjoyed this", could it be that the action ended recently or does this mean the action the action is continuing - like saying "I've enjoyed this so far". But then, wouldn't it be better to say "I've been enjoying this"?
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If the action is continuing, why use past tense at all? I'm enjoying this.– FumbleFingersCommented Feb 24, 2023 at 15:27
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"I've enjoyed this" does suggest the activity is ending. "I've enjoyed this so far" suggests that the activity is continuing but the enjoyment might not be.– Weather VaneCommented Feb 24, 2023 at 15:34
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Reminiscent of the famous Groucho Marx joke in which, upon leaving a party, he tells the hostess "Thank you, ma'am. I've had a wonderful time. But this wasn't it", contrasting the Existential sense of the Perfect with the Stative/Resultative.– John LawlerCommented Feb 24, 2023 at 16:23
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Yep, as I call it using the PP just to signal that something is in the past but not at a specific point in time.– LambieCommented Feb 24, 2023 at 20:33
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2 Answers
The phrase "I've enjoyed this" generally suggests that the action is either completed or nearly completed. It is not typically used to indicate an ongoing action.
However, it can sometimes be used in a context where the action is ongoing but the speaker is expressing their overall satisfaction with the experience up to that point. In that case, it might be more appropriate to say "I've been enjoying this so far" to indicate that the action is ongoing and the speaker is still in the process of enjoying it.
So, if someone says "I've enjoyed this" without any additional context, it is more likely that the action has ended or is nearly completed. But if they say "I've been enjoying this so far" it suggests that the action is still ongoing and the speaker is expressing their current enjoyment.
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To me, adding "so far" also suggests that they're not sure if they'll continue enjoying it, they're reserving judgement or they may be tiring of it. There's an unstated "but ..."– BarmarCommented Feb 24, 2023 at 16:44
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if "I've enjoyed this" means the action is completed, why not say "I enjoyed this". If I said this - referring to an action we know it finished a moment ago, what would the difference in perception be? Commented Feb 25, 2023 at 10:30
"I've enjoyed this" just tells us this is past AND true at the time of speaking.
Present perfect is often about the time of speaking.
"I enjoyed this" is not at the time of speaking. The enjoyment would precede the time of speaking even if it is just before it.
