THESE DAYS vs SINCE

[shun]

THESE DAYS vs SINCE

On last Friday the kids went to live with their grandma for a few days. People ask about them and of course I say a continuity "The kids live with their grandma". However, I want to give it a timing and find it very interesting.

If we add 'these days', it is still a continuity:
Ex: The kids live with their grandma these days.

But if we add 'since last Friday', the Simple Present cannot be a continuity:
Ex: *The kids live with their grandma since last Friday.

To keep the impression of continuity, we have to change the tense from Simple Present to Present Perfect:
Ex: The kids have lived with their grandma since last Friday.

How shall we explain this phenomenon? Have you ever noticed this? Time adverbials seem to be different, don't they? Your opinion is welcome.

Shun Tang

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by shun

On last Friday the kids went to live with their grandma for a few days. People ask about them and of course I say a continuity "The kids live with their grandma". However, I want to give it a timing and find it very interesting.

Say: "Last Friday...." Also, since it is only supposed to be a few days, say they are staying with their grandma. We would say they are living with her to indicate a more or less permanent state of affairs.

You can say they have been staying with their grandma since last Friday.

:)

[shun]

Originally Posted by RonBee

Say: "Last Friday...." Also, since it is only supposed to be a few days, say they are staying with their grandma. We would say they are living with her to indicate a more or less permanent state of affairs.

You can say they have been staying with their grandma since last Friday.

:)

As you say:

We would say they are living with her to indicate a more or less permanent state of affairs.

Obviously, I don't mean that state.

Both Present Perfect or Perfect Continuous are OK. :P

The question has been changed but not answereded.
:wink:

Tell me if the tenses are wrong or ungrammatical. :D

Even in your tenses, the question is still there intact.

[RonBee]

Use the present continuous: are staying.

:)

[Casiopea]

Ex: The kids live with their grandma these days.

'live' expresses a general fact. The simple present is used to express a general fact.

Ex: *The kids live with their grandma since last Friday.

'since last Friday' expresses continuity. 'live' does not. The present tense is used to express a general fact.

Ex: The kids have lived with their grandma since last Friday.

'have lived' expresses continuity. The Perfect expresses continuity.

How shall we explain this phenomenon? Have you ever noticed this? Time adverbials seem to be different, don't they? Your opinion is welcome.

What's the phenomenon? Tense and aspect are different; the adverbs that modify them have different functions.

:D

[RonBee]

I don't think in AE we would say the kids have lived with their grandma since last Friday. We would say they have been staying with their grandma since last Friday.

:)

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by RonBee

I don't think in AE we would say the kids have lived with their grandma since last Friday. We would say they have been staying with their grandma since last Friday.

:)

Agreed. Thanks for that.

The kids have been living with their grandma since last Friday.
==> State of Continuity

Nice one RonBee :D

[shun]

Originally Posted by Casiopea

Ex: The kids live with their grandma these days.

'live' expresses a general fact. The simple present is used to express a general fact.

Ex: *The kids live with their grandma since last Friday.

'since last Friday' expresses continuity. 'live' does not. The present tense is used to express a general fact.

Ex: The kids have lived with their grandma since last Friday.

'have lived' expresses continuity. The Perfect expresses continuity.

What's the phenomenon? Tense and aspect are different; the adverbs that modify them have different functions.

:D

I want to know what is aspect? :?

[RonBee]

Aspect
http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary/aspect.html

To clarify:

• I would say the children have been living with their grandma but I would not say the children have been living with their grandma since last Friday. That is because the expression been living suggests to me an extended period of time.

:)

[shun]

Originally Posted by RonBee

Aspect
http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary/aspect.html

To clarify:

• I would say the children have been living with their grandma but I would not say the children have been living with their grandma since last Friday. That is because the expression been living suggests to me an extended period of time.

:)

If you think this way, how about this:

I live in Hong Kong and I want to give a timing of it.

If we add 'these years', it is still a continuity:
Ex: I live in Hong Kong these years.

But if we add 'since 1976', the Simple Present cannot be a continuity:
Ex: *I live in Hong Kong since 1972.

To keep the impression of continuity, we have to change the tense from Simple Present to Present Perfect:
Ex: I have lived in Hong Kong since 1997.

How shall we explain this phenomenon? Have you ever noticed this? Time adverbials seem to be different, don't they? Your opinion is welcome.