Questions about 'I've'

[bouji]

Teachers,
Please pick out the "better suited or more common" expression(s) in each of the following situations.

1. When apologizing for an 'out-of-line' opinion or comment:
I said too much.

I've said too much.


2. When apologizing for an 'out-of-line' action:
I pushed you too far.

I've pushed you too far.


3. When saying you have a nervous feeling about doing something:
I got stage fright.
I've got stage fright.


4. When saying you have a nervous feeling before doing something:
I got butterflies in my stomach.
I've got butterflies in my stomach.

5.When saying that you need to leave now:
I gotta go.
I've gotta go.


Similarly, when saying you need to do something rather quick:
I'm in a hurry./I'm in a rush.
I'm in hurry./I'm in rush.

Thank you very much.

[Ann1977]

Teachers,
Please pick out the "better suited or more common" expression(s) in each of the following situations.


1. When apologizing for an 'out-of-line' opinion or comment:
I said too much.

I've said too much.


2. When apologizing for an 'out-of-line' action:
I pushed you too far.

I've pushed you too far.


- If my going too far had happened in the past, even the quite recent past, I would use the simple past tense ("I said" or "I pushed").
- But if I were apologizing for remarks I made in the present -- right in the same conversation -- I would say "I've."


3. When saying you have a nervous feeling about doing something:
I got stage fright.
I've got stage fright.


Using "I got" for present-tense "I have" is substandard English.
- "I got a scrape on my knee" used for "I have a scrape on my knee" is not heard among even moderately educated speakers.
- "I got a scrape on my knee" means "I acquired (at some point in the past) a scrape on my knee."

- If you are having the feeling as you speak, the expression is "I've got (or 'I have') stage fright."

- You can say "I got stage fright" if you are recounting an event that happened any time in the past -- even two minutes ago. "I got (or 'I had') stage fright there for a minute, but I'm all right now."


4. When saying you have a nervous feeling before doing something:
I got butterflies in my stomach.
I've got butterflies in my stomach.

This is exactly the same as the third example.
- Use "I've got" if the feeling is occurring as you speak.
- Use "I got" (or "I had") if it happened previously.


5.When saying that you need to leave now:
I gotta go.
I've gotta go.


"I gotta go" (pronounced /I gutta go/) is universally used informally.
- A more formal way to say this is "I have to go" (/I hafta go/).
- "I've gotta go" is an odd blend of highly informal ("gotta") and formal ("I have got to"), and I don't think it is heard in American English.
- However, it is so slight a phoneme addition that I think it would go unnoticed if it were to be used in ordinary conversation. Possibly an editor would delete it from conversations in writing, such as in a novel.


Similarly, when saying you need to do something rather quick:
I'm in a hurry./I'm in a rush.
I'm in hurry./I'm in rush.

"I'm in hurry" and "I'm in rush" are never heard. The nouns "hurry" and "rush" require the article "a."
- In like manner, you must say "I'm in a stew" or "I'm in a sweat."
- On the other hand, the correct expressions are "I'm in suspense" and "I'm in agony."
- I don't know of any ruling principle for predicting when "a" is used; I assume it is merely a matter of usage.

[bouji]

Ann1977

Thank you for your detailed explanation.
It's very clear and easy to understand.

bouji

[albeit]

[bookmark]

[bouji]

Originally Posted by albeit

[bookmark]

What do you mean by [bookmark]?
Could you explain?

[albeit]

Originally Posted by bouji

What do you mean by [bookmark]?
Could you explain?

You betcha, Bouji. I wanted to discuss something very interesting in Ann's reply but I have to cogitate a bit, so I bookmarked it, figuratively speaking, so it didn't get lost in the shuffle. When I want, I can find it in My Posts.

[Ann1977]

Originally Posted by albeit

You betcha, Bouji. I wanted to discuss something very interesting in Ann's reply but I have to cogitate a bit, so I bookmarked it, figuratively speaking, so it didn't get lost in the shuffle. When I want, I can find it in My Posts.

Talk to me, Teach!

[albeit]

Bouji asked:

Teachers,

Please pick out the "better suited or more common" expression(s) in each of the following situations.

[I]1. When apologizing for an 'out-of-line' opinion or comment:
I said too much.

I've said too much.


2. When apologizing for an 'out-of-line' action:
I pushed you too far.

I've pushed you too far.


Originally Posted by Ann1977

If my going too far had happened in the past, even the quite recent past, I would use the simple past tense ("I said" or "I pushed").

What Ann said here seems to directly contradict what Proesl wrote, below, which I've/I put in bold.

I agree with Proesl's idea about the difference between the simple past and the present perfect, yet there's a dichotomy here that is puzzling to me.

Both the past actions, above, in 1 & 2, have a current relevance and yet, I agree with Ann here, the present perfect doesn't seem right even when the action is as Ann said "the quite recent past".

Proesl wrote [in another thread]: It could be a matter of personal choice or style. Also, one could think that where both present perfect and simple past are correct, one is more likely to choose the present perfect in BrE style.

Also, let's look at the speaker's viewpoint where both the simple past and the present perfect are correct.

simple past: - The action or event is viewed as finished and not relevant now.

present perfect: The action or event is finished and still relevant now. Also the action or event may very well continue, if not "now" then later.

The present perfect highlights "up-to-nowness", while the simple past highlights that which is complete and that which we have clearly left behind us.

http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/as...t-perfect.html

Originally Posted by Ann1977

- But if I were apologizing for remarks I made in the present -- right in the same conversation -- I would say "I've."

Here, I'm not sure that I completely agree with Ann. I don't think that her choice can be extrapolated to include every speaker of NaE. As soon as it's said, it's a completed action. Most assuredly, the present perfect works here, again, it might well be the more common choice, but the simple past could also be used even when the remarks have just been made.

[bouji]

Originally Posted by albeit

Here, I'm not sure that I completely agree with Ann. I don't think that her choice can be extrapolated to include every speaker of NaE. As soon as it's said, it's a completed action. Most assuredly, the present perfect works here, again, it might well be the more common choice, but the simple past could also be used even when the remarks have just been made.

I always thought in, 1&2 situations, simple past is acceptable. Because like albeit said, to me these are done actions no matter how recent they have been made. But in a case like "I've had enough.", nobody would say "I had enough.".......So I think I'm more confused now than ever.
Isn't there any kind of "Golden Rules" that I can follow or you native people follow?

[albeit]

Bouji wrote: 3. When saying you have a nervous feeling about doing something:
I got stage fright.
I've got stage fright.


Originally Posted by Ann1977

Using "I got" for present-tense "I have" is substandard English.
- "I got a scrape on my knee" used for "I have a scrape on my knee" is not heard among even moderately educated speakers.
- "I got a scrape on my knee" means "I acquired (at some point in the past) a scrape on my knee."

I disagree, Ann. "I got a ___" meaning "I have a ___" is often heard and it's not "substandard" English, it may not even be nonstandard English. Often, <'ve> is often very lightly voiced to almost unvoiced in fast casual speech; "I been to the store".

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Exact phrase Google

Results 1 - 10 of about 280,000 English pages for "I got a scrape".

Results 1 - 10 of about 4,650,000 English pages for "I got a cut".

====================

And it most definitely is used by speakers of all educational levels. Sometimes "I got a cut ..." means "I have a cut ..." and sometimes it means "acquired". Context helps us determine which it is.

Originally Posted by Ann1977

- If you are having the feeling as you speak, the expression is "I've got (or 'I have') stage fright."

- You can say "I got stage fright" if you are recounting an event that happened any time in the past -- even two minutes ago. "I got (or 'I had') stage fright there for a minute, but I'm all right now."

This is exactly the same as the third example.
- Use "I've got" if the feeling is occurring as you speak.
- Use "I got" (or "I had") if it happened

Here too, in casual speech people often use "I got" to mean "I have". No one would say "I got butterflies in my stomach" to talk about acquiring butterflies for their stomach sometime in the past.

Exact phrase google searches:

Results 1 - 10 of about 642,000 English pages for "I have butterflies in my stomach".

Results 1 - 10 of about 341,000 English pages for "I got butterflies in my stomach".

Results 1 - 10 of about 229,000 English pages for "I've got butterflies in my stomach".