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Present perfect /present perfect continou | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Questions About Your Target Languages |  | |
| ScottScheule Diglot Senior Member United States scheule.blogspot.com Joined 5173 days ago 645 posts - 1176 votes  Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: Latin, Hungarian, Biblical Hebrew, Old English, Russian, Swedish, German, Italian, French | Message 9 of 30 29 January 2014 at 3:40pm | IP Logged | ||
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They both sound equivalent to me. I have to disagree with those who say that the first implies I'm no longer working in London--I think it's the opposite.
Moreover, they don't even have a different connotation to my ears. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| agantik Triglot Senior Member France Joined 4580 days ago 217 posts - 335 votes Speaks: French*, English, Italian Studies: German, Norwegian | Message 10 of 30 29 January 2014 at 3:46pm | IP Logged | ||
That´s the rules I tell my students to follow, and honestly it works in 90% cases. To help you distinguish between the two, here is a possible context: - I have worked in London for a long time but I have never worked in Berlin. With the present perfect simple you make a present assessment of your past experience, hence its use with already, never, not yet and ever. - I have been working in London for a long time : indeed it insists on the fact you're still living in London. You've also got the contrast between : 1/. I have washed the car (result-> it´s clean now) 2/.I have been washing the car : it insists on the activity, there is foam and water every where but the car is not necessarily clean. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| luke Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 7150 days ago 3133 posts - 4351 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: Esperanto, French | Message 11 of 30 29 January 2014 at 3:47pm | IP Logged | ||
I'm not a grammarian, but I think of the present perfect in the sense that what I did before matters in the present context. If I use the simple past, it may not matter in the current context. E.G. I have worked in London. (That's relevant to the present situation in some way). I worked in London. (by the way - it may or may be relevant to what we are discussing). Also, the present perfect implies that the action is complete at the present. I have worked in London. Done. We've established the fact. Now let's move on. Other tenses: I worked in London. Statement of fact. It was in the past. I was working in London. Continuous past. Moving the story along. Sets the background. I have been working in London. I'm still working there. I had been working in London. I was working in London in the context of the story I'm telling. I may no longer be working there. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Cavesa Triglot Senior Member Czech Republic Joined 4954 days ago 3277 posts - 6779 votes Speaks: Czech*, FrenchC2, EnglishC1 Studies: Spanish, German, Italian | Message 12 of 30 29 January 2014 at 4:12pm | IP Logged | ||
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I'd just like to point out the use of past simple, present perfect simple and present perfect continuous sometimes vary between the British and American English. The Americans, including the media, tend to be less careful about distinguishing them. I feel the difference the same way it was already described before but it never hurts to consult a book.
With past simple, it is not a complicated matter. It's used when the particular time is important. ex: I worked in London in the 90's. What does R.Murphy tell us about pps vs ppc in his English Grammar in Use:
So, let's get back to your exemple. "I've worked in London." Good for you, you've got a lot of experience and a nice line for your CV. One day, you might say: "I've worked in London, Paris and Prague." It's very likely you had to leave one city for another. "I've been working in London." How long have you been working there? And do you think you'll stay or return home? 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| ScottScheule Diglot Senior Member United States scheule.blogspot.com Joined 5173 days ago 645 posts - 1176 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: Latin, Hungarian, Biblical Hebrew, Old English, Russian, Swedish, German, Italian, French | Message 13 of 30 29 January 2014 at 4:19pm | IP Logged | ||
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But doesn't omitting "for a long time" change the meaning?
"I've worked in London," sounds like it's a finished activity. But "I've worked in London for a long time," sounds as if it's not yet finished. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| dampingwire Bilingual Triglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 4610 days ago 1185 posts - 1513 votes Speaks: English*, Italian*, French Studies: Japanese | Message 14 of 30 29 January 2014 at 4:20pm | IP Logged | ||
A) I have worked in London. B) I have worked in London for a long time. A) means that at some point in time I was in London and working. I may well be somewhere else (in fact, if I'd be unlikely to state the facts this way if I'm working in London now). B) Right now I'm working in London. This state has persisted for a long time. So the tense isn't enough to determine where you are now. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Cavesa Triglot Senior Member Czech Republic Joined 4954 days ago 3277 posts - 6779 votes Speaks: Czech*, FrenchC2, EnglishC1 Studies: Spanish, German, Italian | Message 15 of 30 29 January 2014 at 4:23pm | IP Logged | ||
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ScottSheule, I think this is one of the differences between the British and American English. I don't have any American English grammar to consult but it is definitely possible your view is correct.
Really, I think we could have two correct versions with explanations and literature to back them up. I actually believe this is one of the most notable grammar differences between the American and British English. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| ScottScheule Diglot Senior Member United States scheule.blogspot.com Joined 5173 days ago 645 posts - 1176 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: Latin, Hungarian, Biblical Hebrew, Old English, Russian, Swedish, German, Italian, French | Message 16 of 30 29 January 2014 at 4:28pm | IP Logged | ||
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Cavesa, that seems possible. So, in your view, does "I have worked in London for a long time," imply that the activity, the working, is finished?
1 person has voted this message useful |
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