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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > help needed..
help needed..
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Mariethe House
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help needed..
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Plesase can someone give me a formal explanation about the difference between the two present perfects: simple and continuous, especially with for and since!I always find it difficult to "explain" .When I find some reasonable explanation, there�s always an exception!
Thank you ! Mariethe.
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27 Jan 2009
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aftab57
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The Grammarians will provide you with the more detailed answer but here are someof the printables which may help.
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27 Jan 2009
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Mariethe House
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Wow!!! thank aftab! Will you please browse all these printables for me? lol
Thank you ever so much ! I haven�t finished my work; I have been watching esl printables for at least an hour.. ... I haven�t eaten yet ....in fact my partner has cooked dinner and has been calling me for half an hour because he says he has been cooking for hours and I haven�t bothered yet to pay any attention to all his efforts!
So? thank you very much for your help!
Mariethe
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27 Jan 2009
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isabelle99
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I generally tell my pupils that what differs in the use of these tenses is the way you consider the action. If you want to underline the result of the action you use the present perfect. however if you want to highlight the lenght of the action you use the continuous. example: "my partner has cooked dinner", result: i�d better hurry and leave this addictive site cause dinner is ready!
BUT in "he�s been calling me for half an hour" we can easily imagine the repetitive action of a partner�s desperate callings!
Such a familiar situation at home!
Not a very "Grammarian" answer but Hope it helps!
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27 Jan 2009
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BRAHIM S
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isabelle99 got it right, I would simply add that the ING form will be used to highlight the duration, continuity of the action. For the speaker, it�s been long and to use isabelle�s same example with "to cook"
"She has been cooking for more than half an hour, and yet nothing is ready " |
28 Jan 2009
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Apodo
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especially with for and since: is this what you meant?
He has been cooking for three hours.
He has been cooking since 5 o�clock.
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28 Jan 2009
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