Questions tagged [perfect-aspect]
This tag is use to look back from a specific time and talk about things up to that time or about things that are important at that time.
131
questions
0
votes
0
answers
33
views
State-change verbs are mostly in perfect tense?
I know one of the uses of the perfect tense is to describe an action from the past that influences the present.
Then I would expect most of state change (changed, grew, transformed, moved) verbs to be ...
- 179
0
votes
1
answer
60
views
"would like to have Vpp" or "would have liked to V"
Suppose you were reading a dictionary that wasn't available when you were a student. Which of the following forms would you use?
This dictionary is excellent. I would like to have had a copy when I ...
- 4,689
1
vote
2
answers
634
views
- Have you already finished your essay? - No, I will ___ it by this Thursday
In an online placement test that is, frankly, not the best of the best, this sentence is provided with a gap to be filled:
Have you already finished your essay? - No, I will ___ it by this Thursday
...
- 18.9k
1
vote
0
answers
71
views
The word "have" in different contexts
I have a rather unusual question about English for native speakers.
Recently a friend of mine showed me a book to learn my native language (non-English obviously) and I saw a section about "...
Mike
0
votes
1
answer
31
views
Have arachnophobia or had arachnophobia?
I wrote this question:
Why hadn’t you said to me that you have arachnophobia before we went there?
Now I’m worried I should have used this version instead:
Why hadn’t you said to me that you had ...
- 219k
2
votes
0
answers
30
views
"never did before" vs. "has never done before" [duplicate]
What is the difference between these two phrases:
something he never did before
something he has never done before
1
vote
0
answers
58
views
present, past, passive and perfect participle usages
Which is correct grammatically?
Beaten severely, he died immediately. [past participle]
Having been beaten severely, he died immediately. [perfect participle)
I would like to put my understanding of ...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
110
views
Should “The man has always needed religion and as profoundly as he has always needed food” use a simple tense instead?
Should this sentence's verbs indicate that the actions occurred in the past indirectly by using the compound present prefect construction:
The man has always needed religion and as profoundly as he ...
CommunityBot
- 1
0
votes
1
answer
114
views
She hoped to have done [duplicate]
I saw a sentence
She hoped to have done
Or a sentence, created with the same structure. I don'tunderstand how it works. Then I saw a full version of it:
She hoped that she had done
So, it's like a ...
- 2,797
0
votes
0
answers
22
views
Can I use the helping verb "had" instead of "has" in the Perfect Tense when talking about the present period of time?
When I talk about a period of time that hasn't finished yet (at the moment of speaking), can I use the helping verb "had" instead of "has" in the Perfect Tense?
For example, should I still say:
By ...
- 4,305
0
votes
1
answer
42
views
Has vs had grammaticality for something that happened last week
In my English class, my professor posed the following question:
Manuel (has / had) asked Pedro to help him fix his computer last week.
He said the answer was has, but that seems present tense to ...
Rudy
1
vote
1
answer
45
views
Using infinitive instead of perfect infinitive
Here I see below sentence:
We hope to have finished the building works by the end of March
My question is if I write this sentence using infinitive instead of the perfect infinitive then will it ...
- 36.8k
0
votes
1
answer
263
views
Problems with perfect tenses
I have some problems with Present Perfect tenses. I often see in movies or in books where 2 characters are talking about situation that take place right now. When they see the result, instead of using ...
CommunityBot
- 1
2
votes
2
answers
52k
views
Will be done vs will have been done
Everything will be done by Tuesday.
Everything will have been done by Tuesday.
What is the difference (semantic, grammatical), if any, between the two?
My question is different from this one ...
CommunityBot
- 1
16
votes
8
answers
152k
views
What is the difference between "being" and "having been" in this context?
Being a teacher, she likes children.
AND
Having been a teacher, she likes children.
What is the difference between these two?
- 41
0
votes
1
answer
158
views
"But the idea that someone might be arming the Seam would never have been allowed" — why "would have"?
From The Hunger Games:
My bow is a rarity, crafted by my father along with a few others that I keep well hidden in the woods, carefully wrapped in waterproof covers. My father could have made good ...
- 88.3k
0
votes
1
answer
39
views
Grammar: Past perfect tense
If someone just told me about some celebrity I didn't know about all my life. would it be natural to express this in past perfect tense.
For instance:
Someone tells me about me about Mohammed Ali and ...
- 7,543
2
votes
1
answer
3k
views
By the time we get there, he will be/will have been gone
By the time we get there, he will be/will have been gone.
I would like to know whether there is a difference between these two or the perfect tense is wrong here.
I assume that with the perfect ...
CommunityBot
- 1
0
votes
1
answer
73
views
Equivalents of Russian perfective/imperfective verbs
Which one of the sentences means "Ne ustanovili pravila", but don't "Ne ustanavlivali pravila"?
They didn't set rules.
or
They didn't have to set rules.
What is the difference? Which one makes ...
- 6,163
1
vote
2
answers
77
views
Does every present perfect sentence have some kind of connection between what happened in the past and the present time?
We use the present perfect tense to address something that happened in the past, but we don't specify precisely when it happened. We also use present perfect to suggest some kind of connection between ...
- 27.1k
3
votes
3
answers
279
views
How about "When I saw Debbie, she had played golf"?
Oxford Guide to English Grammar; John Eastwood; Oxford University Press 1994-09
Page 94
Compare the past continuous and past perfect continuous.
When I saw Debbie, she was playing golf. (I ...
- 3,944
2
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Can we use present perfect with a specific time?
For example, if I say "Today I have washed the dishes" or "Yesterday I have walked the dog", it comes off as wrong. This is why I understand that present perfect doesn't go with specific times. Past ...
- 124k
0
votes
1
answer
256
views
When should we use “Perfect infinitive” instead of “infinitive” in passive voice?
I was doing exercises from great blue textbook when I met the difficult one. Please, explain me the difference between usage infinitive and present infinitive in passive voice.
Foe example:
Do you ...
EnglishRunner
0
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Should I use perfect or not?
I saw an advertisement in the newspaper. I want to send an e-mail regarding the advertisement. Should I write it as:
I saw your advert in the newspaper.
I have seen your advert in the newspaper.
If ...
CommunityBot
- 1
0
votes
3
answers
325
views
A question regarding usage "by the time"?
Suppose you send a message to a person which is not online!
I know
By the time you see this message I will have been done with my task
means that my task is already finished some time before he ...
- 124k
1
vote
2
answers
281
views
What is the difference between **could + have p.p.** and **could + infinitive**?
We could not imagine how the Inca could have built such a large
city on top of a high mountain.
I don't think could build can replace could have built in the sentence above, but I am not sure why ...
- 2,840
0
votes
2
answers
462
views
What combination of tense and aspect is “It has already been planned”?
I have been learning English grammar and I’ve encountered a sentence that I cannot identify as being in any of the tenses that I know. This one’s got me really confused:
It has already been planned....
CommunityBot
- 1
3
votes
4
answers
21k
views
Future Simple and Future Perfect
I've read the question about Future Simple and Future Perfect, but I still can't understand the exact usage of these two tenses.
Is there any diffrence between the following?
I will do my homework ...
0
votes
4
answers
2k
views
My intention is (to finish/to have finished) my studies by June
My intention is to finish my studies by June.
My intention is to have finished my studies by June.
Is it correct to say 1 or 2? If both are correct, are there any differences between them?
0
votes
1
answer
231
views
How to say in correct tense
I want to say in English about some fact in the past, but it has an impact the present:
I have starting going to the gym last week? (I still go there)
or
I have started going to the gym last ...
- 75.3k
2
votes
3
answers
99
views
Future Perfect and Future Continuous with present reference
I came across this dialogue:
Is it too late to call them? Do you think they'll have gone to bed yet?
Knowing them, they won't have finished their dinner yet. They'll be watching a film.
My ...
- 175k
2
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Why can't i use "I haven't known" someone in English
A few days ago, I read this sentence in "English grammar in use" by Raymond Murphy:
We don't know where we're going for our holiday yet.
I thought present perfect must be used here as: we haven'...
Thuan Nguyen
2
votes
3
answers
14k
views
When to use simple past or present perfect? (I called him or I have called him)
There is someone knocking at the door.
It must be the computer repairman.
I ______ him to come to fix my computer.
The answer is "called". But why not "have called" ?
CommunityBot
- 1
1
vote
2
answers
892
views
Why should there be a use of perfect to make this statement grammatical?
In a week's time I will complete my work.
In a week's time I will have completed my work.
Option 2 is given as the correct answer which is future perfect tense. The first sentence is simple future ...
- 1
1
vote
3
answers
9k
views
Has been studying or Have been studying?
When using both the perfect aspect and also the progressive aspect for my verb “to have been studying”, should I use the present tense has or the past tense had here?
She has been studying there for ...
CommunityBot
- 1
14
votes
6
answers
9k
views
Is there a difference between "should not have done something" and "needn't have done something"?
What is the difference between shouldn't have done something and needn't have done something?
Everything was okay. You needn't have worried.
Can we say you shouldn't have worried instead of needn't ...
J.R.♦
- 110k
1
vote
1
answer
108
views
Which one would be preferable here, Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous?
Sentences:
Here you're! We have just talked about you.
Here you're! We have just been talking about you.
I think I made a little mistake when I chose to use Present Perfect instead of ...
- 438
0
votes
1
answer
4k
views
Took a subject vs Have taken a subject
If I am talking about my undergraduate studies, which of the following two is correct?
I have taken calculus in my undergraduate studies.
I took calculus in my undergraduate studies.
- 7,351
1
vote
1
answer
68
views
The preference of using Present Perfect Continuos
This is a translating task. The key says that the answer is "did you speak" (off topic: "speak" or "talk"). But I'm pretty sure that I should use Present Perfect Continuous. In this case it is an ...
- 36.8k
1
vote
1
answer
294
views
Having deal with "to get used to" and "to be used to"
I know "to get used to" means the process of accustoming whereas "to be used to" means that somebody has done it, this process is finished and now there is nothing unusual connected with this thing, ...
- 124k
1
vote
1
answer
106
views
Using "already" in Simple Aspect
I've found out an interesting fact. We could also use the adverbial modifier "already" not only in Perfect Aspect. We can do it, if we are amazed by something haven't been expected before? Like in the ...
CommunityBot
- 1
0
votes
1
answer
147
views
What does this sentence imply?
I'm Korean and studying English for speaking.
I have a question about the context of present perfect tence.
If I say:
He has worked there for 3 years.
does this imply that he is still working at ...
- 2,710
2
votes
3
answers
12k
views
You have gone through - you have been going through
Is there a difference in meaning between the following two sentences?
I can't even imagine what you have gone through.
I can't even imagine what you have been going through.
- 27.1k
1
vote
1
answer
42
views
Present perfect
You have applied to the job on 29th January.
Is the present perfect sentence correct though it has specific time.
- 121
3
votes
3
answers
333
views
Have I had known about the lack of security
Is it correct to say "have I had known"?
Thank you all.
- 37.6k
2
votes
1
answer
49
views
Present or Past tense in this sentence
I wrote:
The whole extraction command is optional and if it isn’t specified, no extraction is performed.
But I think "specified" is taken place when the user writes the command, then should I use ...
- 2,485
3
votes
2
answers
932
views
past perfect in a time clause
I would like to know if we could write "What had happened while we were away." I think past perfect is not obligatory in time clause.
When we returned from our holidays, we found our house in a ...
- 27.1k
1
vote
1
answer
1k
views
Is "What would have happened if you were a few minutes later?" grammatical? [duplicate]
I read this sentence in a movie
What would have happened if you were a few minutes later?
I think that the sentence "What would have happened if you were a few minutes later?" is wrong ...
- 27.1k
0
votes
2
answers
725
views
How to describe one event that preceded the other with "was" or "had been"?
I know there are a lot of similar topics, but I couldn't find the exact answer for my question.
I need to describe a situation in which one event preceded the other and I couldn’t do it with simple ...
- 21
0
votes
2
answers
158
views
Perfect construction in a complement
According to @StoneyB's Cannonical Post #2 . States cannot serve as the complement in Wh-cleft constructions. As an example there,
What John did was have written three novels. – This is not ...
CommunityBot
- 1