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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > Help me with transformation of one sentence please :)
Help me with transformation of one sentence please :)
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winky2
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Help me with transformation of one sentence please :)
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The original sentence:
We haven �t been on holiday for two years.
key word: since
Which is correct?
It �s been two years since we have been on holiday.
It �s been two years since we were on holiday.
And why??? |
25 Oct 2010
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Kate (kkcat)
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2nd sentence is correct because �SINCE we were on holiday � acts as an exact point of time. And the exact point of time in the past can�t be used in Present Perfect.
Also, we don�t normally use Pr.Perf after �since�.
Kate.
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25 Oct 2010
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Mariethe House
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Do you mean you have not had a holiday for two years?
In that case, I �d say:
It has been two years since we last had a holiday ( what Kate says applies here too)
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25 Oct 2010
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winky2
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Thanks :)
This is what I thought, but the key gave the first version. |
25 Oct 2010
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Kate (kkcat)
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The 1st sentence means : "We are still on holiday... have been here for 2 years and enjoying it" :)So, maybe the author of the key is a very optimistic person :) who knows! It�s everyone�s dream to have such a long holiday! :)
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25 Oct 2010
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violeta8l8
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You should say "It �s been two years since we last went on holidays".
Is that what you �re trying to say? |
25 Oct 2010
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lshorton99
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The first one is correct - at least from a native speaker �s perspective. The present perfect can be used with exact points of time if you use �since �.
Examples:
�I haven �t spoken to my best friend since last Wednesday at 2.03pm � - can �t get much more exact than that!
�I haven �t eaten fish since I was 13. � - again an exact point in time.
I �m sorry to disagree with Kate but it also doesn �t mean that the action is still continuing - in this case the sentence �It �s been two years since we have
been on holiday � doesn �t mean that we still are either! The 2nd sentence sounds less natural to me. We nearly always use the present perfect with since + exact point in time - the past simple with �since � is much less common (at least in British English).
Lindsey
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26 Oct 2010
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