Thread: Perfective and imperfective verbs

Helen, you might want to look at this for a general description of how the Present Perfect tense works. The idea behind the tense is that something happened at an unspecified time before now. So the issues like "I haven't seen Mr. Whitford" (for the whole life of me) or "I have seen this movie once or twice" represent the classical usage of the tense. However, as it's already mentioned in the description on the link, you may want to specify the period of time, during which something has happened. You may use such expressions as "in the last year", "in the past few weeks", "this week", et cetera. All those expressions of time do include today in them. Like in Russian "в этом году", or "последние несколько дней" and so on. But if the period of time ended before today, as in "last year", "yesterday", "three years ago", you may not use the Present Perfect tense. But we have also mentioned that today is included into the acceptable period of time. That said, you may as well use it to limit the period of time you are looking in for an event. But I don't think it's normal in colloquial speech to refer to things happened today using the Present Perfect tense. On the other hand, I wouldn't call it ungrammatical either (I hope native English speakers don't mind my saying that). But it conveys a somewhat different sense than just uttering that something happened today. You might want to take a look at this short discussion, I hope it can elaborate.

Sincerelly yours, Eugene

Originally Posted by Eugene-p

Sincerelly yours, Eugene

10 баллов!

Originally Posted by Eugene-p

Helen, you might want to look at this for a general description of how the Present Perfect tense works.

Let's imagine the situation. Let's call it "Eugene's holiday".

You've been off to a faraway island for a month's holiday. There is no TV, newspapers, internet, radio there and you know nothing about the latest events in the world. On the second day of your stay Michael Jackson dies (may he forgive me for the example. It was not me who brought up this story). Then, after a month, you come back and I'm meeting you at the airport. The first phrase I say to you is, "Can you imagine? Michael Jackson has died!"

Can you claim that my use of the tense would be not correct? That an American would never say that?

Originally Posted by Helenej

Let's imagine the situation. You've been off to a faraway island for a month's holiday. There is no TV, newspapers, internet, radio there and you know nothing about the latest events in the world. On the second day of your stay Michael Jackson dies (may he forgive us for that. It was not me who brought up this story). Then, after a month, you come back and I'm meeting you at the airport. The first phrase I say to you is, "Can you imagine? Michael Jackson has died!" Can you claim that my use of the tense would be not correct? That an American would never say that?

I might interject, though, that what someone would more likely say would be, "Can you imagine? Michael Jackson died!". To say "Michael Jackson has died" implies a fairly recent event, say, within a day perhaps.

Originally Posted by kgcole

I might interject, though, that what someone would more likely say would be, "Can you imagine? Michael Jackson died!". To say "Michael Jackson has died" implies a fairly recent event, say, within a day perhaps.

Thank you, Kevin. Though I didn’t expect to hear this version of yours, your opinion is valuable to me. I’m trying to either prove or cast away a theory I came across in a text-book. Ok, let’s imagine a bit different situation. Let it be called "Our holiday".

Eugene and me have spent a month’s holiday on that island. (Eugene, don't panic, I only said “let’s imagine”). Jackson died on the second day of our stay there. Then we arrive at the airport, take a bus and come home. I take the mail out the mail-box. We sit down at the table and I look through the newspapers as we eat. Then I exclaim, “Can you imagine? Michael Jackson has died!”

Would you say that last sentense about Jackson? Is Present Perfect appropriate here? Mind the date of his death.

I would also appreciate the versions of all native English speakers who might read this post of mine and the previous one, that of the 5th of November, 02:57 PM, in the blue colour.

I would like to point out that you may not bother commenting your versions, just say what you would say. Nevertheless I would love to hear your comments or explanations if you have any.

Eugene and me have spent a month’s holiday on that island. (Eugene, don't panic, I only said “let’s imagine”). Jackson died on the second day of our stay there. Then we arrive at the airport, take a bus and come home. I take the mail out the mail-box. We sit down at the table and I look through the newspapers as we eat. Then I exclaim, “Can you imagine? Michael Jackson has died!”

Well, it's not really incorrect to say that, but what I'd say is that it's not realistic. If it were on the news, and he had just died a few hours ago, they would come on and say, "Entertainer Michael Jackson has died." But if two native speakers were sitting over coffee and reading the newspaper, they would say, "Wow, Michael Jackson died!" It would be quick, and to the point. So, generally we don't always talk as we would write. It's not incorrect the first way, but not very realistic in conversation...

Originally Posted by kgcole

Well, it's not really incorrect to say that, but what I'd say is that it's not realistic. If it were on the news, and he had just died a few hours ago, they would come on and say, "Entertainer Michael Jackson has died." But if two native speakers were sitting over coffee and reading the newspaper, they would say, "Wow, Michael Jackson died!" It would be quick, and to the point. So, generally we don't always talk as we would write. It's not incorrect the first way, but not very realistic in conversation...

Yes...that's a good explanation.