what is the difference between the present perfect and past tense? guys i dont know when to say i went and i have gone..i have a book talks about that but i cant understand plz dont explain it to me as a grammar rule i want it in a simple way.. like using it in spoken english plz tell me aaaaaaaaah....
present perfect and past tense
Basically.
I went to the cinema = I am not there anymore
I have gone to the cinema = I am now there or on my way there
But many Americans use either to mean that they are still at the cinema, which is odd to me.
I went to the cinema = I am not there anymore
I have gone to the cinema = I am now there or on my way there
But many Americans use either to mean that they are still at the cinema, which is odd to me.
Hello Leena
There is a dilemma with your request. English people do not ask for rules about how to speak. They understand what they mean by various expressions.
That is not always true.
Sometimes expressions are ambiguous. For instance, "I will see you next Tuesday" (when said on Monday)
Does that mean, that you will see me on Tuesday, or a week on Tuesday?
Often, there is a redundancy in language. So, when people are talking about something important, they will express what they mean in different ways.
If you say, "I will see you on Tuesday 19th December 2006", it appears to be unambiguous. But what if you say, "I will see you on Tues 18th December".
Do you intend to see me on Tuesday or Monday?
I often think when replying to a form which gives a choice, 'I will', or 'I will not' be able to attend. That the possiblity of making a complete mistake is quite high.
However usually in language, a single word will not change the meaning of something. Also, there is the possibility of correction.
Unfortunately, in conversation it is not always possible to pick people up on things that you do not fully understand. Quite often people will pretend to understand more than they actually do.
Otherwise conversation becomes like an English lesson, very paintaking and pedantic.
If someone feels, that someone has not fully understood something, they will often repeat what they have said in a slightly different way.
To say something like: "Do you understand what I am saying!", would probably sound a little bit rude and threatening.
There is a dilemma with your request. English people do not ask for rules about how to speak. They understand what they mean by various expressions.
That is not always true.
Sometimes expressions are ambiguous. For instance, "I will see you next Tuesday" (when said on Monday)
Does that mean, that you will see me on Tuesday, or a week on Tuesday?
Often, there is a redundancy in language. So, when people are talking about something important, they will express what they mean in different ways.
If you say, "I will see you on Tuesday 19th December 2006", it appears to be unambiguous. But what if you say, "I will see you on Tues 18th December".
Do you intend to see me on Tuesday or Monday?
I often think when replying to a form which gives a choice, 'I will', or 'I will not' be able to attend. That the possiblity of making a complete mistake is quite high.
However usually in language, a single word will not change the meaning of something. Also, there is the possibility of correction.
Unfortunately, in conversation it is not always possible to pick people up on things that you do not fully understand. Quite often people will pretend to understand more than they actually do.
Otherwise conversation becomes like an English lesson, very paintaking and pedantic.
If someone feels, that someone has not fully understood something, they will often repeat what they have said in a slightly different way.
To say something like: "Do you understand what I am saying!", would probably sound a little bit rude and threatening.
>> But many Americans use either to mean that they are still at the cinema, which is odd to me. <<
I went to the cinema.
Odd to me too. So odd that I would probably not understand it. It's a good thing Americans don't actually say that!
I went to the cinema.
Odd to me too. So odd that I would probably not understand it. It's a good thing Americans don't actually say that!
<It's a good thing Americans don't actually say that! >
Note on fridge in AE speaker's kitchen:
"Went to cinema. Back soon."
Do you deny that it used in AE?
Note on fridge in AE speaker's kitchen:
"Went to cinema. Back soon."
Do you deny that it used in AE?
<<<<"Went to cinema. Back soon." >>>>>
I am English English, so I should not be commenting on AE.
But don't you think, that sometimes people will write down things in a hurry, that are 'not grammatical'.
Possibly they will start to write down one sentence in short hand.
and then add something else.
"I have gone to the cinema": would be correct.
Question: Where did you go?
Answer: I went to the cinema?
Message on Fridge: 'went to cinema', (I will be back soon)
'Went to Cinema' is answering an imaginery question. Where are you!!!
I am English English, so I should not be commenting on AE.
But don't you think, that sometimes people will write down things in a hurry, that are 'not grammatical'.
Possibly they will start to write down one sentence in short hand.
and then add something else.
"I have gone to the cinema": would be correct.
Question: Where did you go?
Answer: I went to the cinema?
Message on Fridge: 'went to cinema', (I will be back soon)
'Went to Cinema' is answering an imaginery question. Where are you!!!
Hello, I'm not a native English speaker, but I feel "I've gone to England" sounds unnatural to me although "I went to England" and "I've been to England" are OK.
You can say "He has gone to England" to mean that he went to England any time in the past and that he is now away from your place. The present perfect tense is best used when you want to say some past event that has an effect on the present state. "He went to England", on the other hand, tells nothing about where he is now. That is, you can suppose either of the two cases: "He is still in England" and "He has already come back to your place".
"I've gone to England" is unnatural. It is because, if you say it, you are saying that you are away from the place where you are now.
Hope this helps you.
You can say "He has gone to England" to mean that he went to England any time in the past and that he is now away from your place. The present perfect tense is best used when you want to say some past event that has an effect on the present state. "He went to England", on the other hand, tells nothing about where he is now. That is, you can suppose either of the two cases: "He is still in England" and "He has already come back to your place".
"I've gone to England" is unnatural. It is because, if you say it, you are saying that you are away from the place where you are now.
Hope this helps you.
hello guys..
Pash
what you already said is what my grammar book says too..but the problem is here
I'm an arabic girl.. so i use the past tense naturally in arabic. like i go to the restaurant..i went to the restuarant..i will go to the restaurant..not like i have gone to the restaurant oh..may be there are some arabic rules like this i'm not sure but this is what i use in my daily life..
Pash
what you already said is what my grammar book says too..but the problem is here
I'm an arabic girl.. so i use the past tense naturally in arabic. like i go to the restaurant..i went to the restuarant..i will go to the restaurant..not like i have gone to the restaurant oh..may be there are some arabic rules like this i'm not sure but this is what i use in my daily life..
Hello Robin..
Robin I'm not English so thats why i ask..
Robin do you mean that i can use whatever i like or comes to my mind? if this will not ruin the right speech i will do it..but i dont feel comfortabe when speaking and using some rules..i immediately revise the rules and find the oppisite..SHIT..tell me robin is that what you mean?
Robin I'm not English so thats why i ask..
Robin do you mean that i can use whatever i like or comes to my mind? if this will not ruin the right speech i will do it..but i dont feel comfortabe when speaking and using some rules..i immediately revise the rules and find the oppisite..SHIT..tell me robin is that what you mean?
<But don't you think, that sometimes people will write down things in a hurry, that are 'not grammatical'.>
I'm trying to find out whether AE speakers find "gone to the cinema" grammatical. Also, if one wants to write the note in shorthand, it's just as easy to write "gone to the cinema", which is grammatical in both AE and BE.
I'm trying to find out whether AE speakers find "gone to the cinema" grammatical. Also, if one wants to write the note in shorthand, it's just as easy to write "gone to the cinema", which is grammatical in both AE and BE.
Present perfect is not just used when the action extends to the present. It is also used for actions that took place in the past, but the exact time is not specified/irrelevant, etc.
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfect.html
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfect.html
"There is broad agreement among grammarians that the English perfect has the following four uses: Resultative (Res), Experiential (Exp), 'hot news', Universal/Continuative. "
Examples of each one:
Suzy has broken her leg. (Resultative)
Suzy has lived in Paris. (Experiential)
Star of the TV series, _____ , has died. (Hot News)
Bill has lived here for five years. (Universal/Continuative)
Examples of each one:
Suzy has broken her leg. (Resultative)
Suzy has lived in Paris. (Experiential)
Star of the TV series, _____ , has died. (Hot News)
Bill has lived here for five years. (Universal/Continuative)
"Present perfect is not just used when the action extends to the present. It is also used for actions that took place in the past, but the exact time is not specified/irrelevant, etc."
This is nothing less than an admission that tense is not synonymous with time.
And that Latin grammatical terminology is entirely unsatisfactory here for describing the English verb system.
This is nothing less than an admission that tense is not synonymous with time.
And that Latin grammatical terminology is entirely unsatisfactory here for describing the English verb system.
<This is nothing less than an admission that tense is not synonymous with time. >
And indeed it is not - in English use.
The English past tense verb is used for:
Time
Likelihood/possibility
Social relationships/graces.
And indeed it is not - in English use.
The English past tense verb is used for:
Time
Likelihood/possibility
Social relationships/graces.
<And that Latin grammatical terminology is entirely unsatisfactory here for describing the English verb system. >
And yet you keep using the term "past tense" to describe the present perfect. Why?
And yet you keep using the term "past tense" to describe the present perfect. Why?