Slavo

I got one problem about distinction between those 3 past tenses.
Is there anybody who can really clearly explain the issue.
It would be useful to give examples of situations in which Present Perfect usually is being used. The more real life situations the better.
Thx in advance.

chinoise

For the diff btw present perfect and simple past, see this thread
present perfect , preterit ..

The diff btw present perfect and present perfect continuous is in the sense of completion and continuity, for e.g.

I have studied English for 10 years. (I may or may not continue)

I have been studying English for 10 years. (I will continue to study)

Any more questions?

Slavo

Is the difference between Pres Perf Simpl and Continous only in the issue of continuing? What about:

I have waited for you 40 min.
I have been waiting for you 40 min.

I know that more natural is the second one, but could you explain me that?

DigitaL MasteR

Hi Salvo,
nice to meet u here
It is a matter of continuing yes
and something else I just wanted to point at, see, in American English, past simple is usually used instead of present perfect, but note that in classical English there is a difference between the two ...
now back to the present perfect and present perfect continous issue, here is the difference:

I have waited for you 40 min. ( I waited and I may or may not wait longer)
I have been waiting for you 40 min. ( I waited for 40 min. and I am still waiting )

__________________
.
It's no challenge to keep your friendship with someone;
Because true friendship exists to remain and progress.
The real challenge is finding the kind of friendship;
That is worth being Called so .
____________________
DigitaL MasteR: Alex

chinoise

Hi, Digital Master and Slavo,

I've been thinking on this for hours. I haven't thought about this before. I think both are possible even if the person being waited for shows up or not. It's a tricky one, since the object is "you", I think, depending on the person shows up on the phone or on the location. I think the main diff is on the feelings expressed by the speaker, on the process of the action. Hence my first two sentences:

I've been thinking on this for hours. (stressing the duration, trying to get an answer. I prefer using " been thinking" rather than "thought" to stress my effort in getting an answer)


I haven't thought about this before. (The idea has never occured to me. We don't use "I haven't been thinking about this" in this instance because it's not about the process of thinking we're talking about, it's about the idea that turns up.)

If we change the object to "him/her" it'd be easier.

I have waited for her for 40 mins. (I may or may not wait for longer)

I have been waiting for her for 40 mins. (It's likely I'll wait for longer)


However,

I have been waiting for you for 40 mins. (It doesn't make sense if the "you" turns up and the "I" is still waiting, if this is strictly used in the sense of continuity. In this instance, the process of "waiting" is stressed and thus the feelings of annoyance of the speaker.)

I've tried translating these two tenses into Chinese and I think the duration and the feelings associated with the verb used is stressed in present perfect continuous.

Further explanation on my original examples:

I have studied English for 10 years.
(I started studying English in 1991 and ended my studies in 2000. This is 2005, so I have ended my English studies for 5 years)

I have been studying English for 10 years.
(I started studying English in 1996, I may or may not continue my studies now).

I have been typing this post for 50 mins. (I'll end my post now, but I want to stress the effort I've made in explaining this.)


Hope my explanations are better this time. But there are still possibilities with these tenses and others.

Btw, as Digital Master has said, it's true native English speakers use simple past tense more than present perfect tense.

Slavo

Thank U SO MUCH! (especially to chinoise)
I really appreciate it!

Send you all THX!
If you had some spare time, could you also look at these sentences?
I know, that task may take a long time. I don’t wanna be cruel, so I’ll understand if you do not want to explain all of this.

Those are my worries the Simple Past vs the Present Perfect. I analyzed all of them but I’m not sure if I think correctly.
I put them into groups, coz I think they have smth in common.
-----------------------------------------------

1st group

I guess, I’ve told you about that.
I don’t remember were I have been or what I have just done.
I don’t remember if I’ve met you before.

I think he’s been staying here.
I don’t know what I’ve done.
I think he’s been in the bar.

(Does the Present Perfect have smth to do with a doubt/uncertainty?)






2nd group

What have you got me into?
What have you done?
What’s happened to him?

Have I done smth wrong?
Have I told you what John did?
How long have I been looking?
How long have I been staying here?

Can I let myself forget what you’ve told me?

(Is it possible to use here the Simple Past instead of Present Perfect? I do not think so. If yes, could you tell me what would it change)





3rd group

I’ve lost my wallet.
(the wallet hasn’t been found yet but we think it may still be found)

I’ve misplaced my keys, I think.
(the same situation as above)

I’ve had more rewarding friendships than this one.
(default ‘before’)

I’ve taken him to a parking lot.
(???)

I’ve found you!
(recently, a few seconds ago ???)

I’ve told you this before.
(the sentence include the ‘before’)

Tom is my best friend. We’ve talked a bunch of times.
(???)

She has lost someone.
(The sentence implies that the event occurred recently)

Look what you’ve become.
(??? Can I say ‘Look what you became’? What is the differenece?)

It’s been fun, Ann.
(??? no idea what rule is used here???)







4th group

I haven’t made a strong impression on you?
That's why you haven’t left town, right?

(Both sentences imply that smth has never happened)

chinoise

Hi, Slavo,

It's been a pleasure to be of help, if any. I didn't mean it's hard work for me, I was just explaining the present perfect continuous tense.

Actually, the examples you've given this time are much easier. The one you gave last time was really tough. (Notice I've used present perfect with this time and simple past with last time)

1st group

I guess, I’ve told you about that.
I don’t remember where I have been or what I have just done.
I don’t remember if I’ve met you before.

I think he’s been staying here.
I don’t know what I’ve done.
I think he’s been in the bar.

(Does the Present Perfect have smth to do with a doubt/uncertainty?)

It's the verbs of uncertainty - guess, don't remember, think, don't know - rather than the present perfect tense, that have to do with the doubt.
2nd group

What have you got me into?
What have you done?
What’s happened to him? -What happened to him?
Have I done smth wrong?- Did I do something wrong?Have I told you what John did? - Did I tell you what John did?
How long have I been looking at?
How long have I been staying here?

Can I let myself forget what you’ve told me? - ...what you told me?
(Is it possible to use here the Simple Past instead of Present Perfect? I do not think so. If yes, could you tell me what would it change)

Yes. I've indicated those who can be changed into past tense, in fact, they're more often used in past tense than present perfect, without changing the meaning. The rest are those that can't be changed without changing the meaning.

3rd group

I’ve lost my wallet.
(the wallet hasn’t been found yet but we think it may still be found)
(I don't think so, it just means I've lost my wallet in the same day you're speaking. You can use simple past tense in fact.)

I’ve misplaced my keys, I think.
(the same situation as above)
(same with my definition of the wallet)
I’ve had more rewarding friendships than this one.
(default ‘before’)
I agree.

I’ve taken him to a parking lot.
(???)
You can use past tense.

I’ve found you!
(recently, a few seconds ago ???)
(Expression of feelings, surprise, anger, annoyance or relief over much effort in finding)

I’ve told you this before.
(the sentence include the ‘before’)
(expression of the speaker's emphasis of telling the recipient before and the recipient not paying attention)

Tom is my best friend. We’ve talked a bunch of times.
(???)
This indicates Tom and I have only had a few conversations and yet I treat him as my best friend.

She has lost someone.
(The sentence implies that the event occurred recently)
I agree, but it also indicates the permanent loss of someone, by death.
Look what you’ve become.

(??? Can I say ‘Look what you became’? What is the differenece?)
You can't say ‘Look what you became’ because it's grammatically incorrect.
"Look what you’ve become." expresses the speaker's discontent with the recipient's present condition.

It’s been fun, Ann.
(??? no idea what rule is used here???)
Let's say, the speaker has had a nice day with Ann and is about to leave and go home, or the speaker has just been to an amusement park with Ann and they have just played a game. Since the event happened in the same day the speaker was speaking, so he used present perfect tense.

4th group

I haven’t made a strong impression on you?
I haven’t made a strong impression on you, have I?
(rhetorical question, expressing the speaker's sense of inadequacy)

That's why you haven’t left town, right?
(the subject matter is on "that's why", the reason, rather than "leaving town")

Hope you're satisfied with my explanation. This time it requires much imagination with these exercises.

Btw, I've just realized you're Polish. I thought you were French. Do you have distinctions btw present perfect and simple past in your language?

If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask me. Hope my explanations are sufficient.