Please note that my saying in the following is an irony: Quote:
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My reply: Yes, "feeling" is a good explanation.
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What I meant is, it is nonsensical to explain tense depending on feelings. May I ask exactly what tense is to cure a headache? In many places, I think I have made myself clear enough: Tense expresses Time only. ----------------------- Quote:
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Originally Posted by riverkid Yes, there are even some grammars that have screwed this up. But any decent descriptive grammar points up these prescriptive mistakes and rectifies them. Both the CGEL and Michael Swan's book do this. [Those are the only two that come to mind where I'm certain that's it's specifically addressed. I'm certain that others do so.].....These adverbials fit quite nicely with some functions of the present perfect, Shun, most notably the experential PP. Any decent grammar recognizes this and states it clearly. Maybe it's time to do a bit of house cleaning. Clear your shelves of the old prescriptive grammars. |
My reply: Everywhere I have seen such false promises more than enough. I have asked about the Past Family for decades and people cannot quote any words or examples about the Past Family. Their examples have turned out a joke -- there is no adjective 'past' in it, the adjective for the Past Family. And there is no explanation whatsoever.
If the books should speak of some time adverbials like "in the past xx years", you have already quoted them to surprise me. I even have Michael Swan's book. May I ask in what page of it does he speak of examples of the Past Family? I don't think you have told the truth. -------------------- Quote:
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Originally Posted by riverkid Clear your shelves of the old prescriptive grammars. |
My reply: Is Michael Swan's book a new grammar book? Shall I drop it also?
Since on the web there are no examples nor explanations for the Past Family, should I clear the web also?