 Re: ggee
I will try to give a more compelte answer or correction. You wrote:
"in 1960's we have had a car. we used to go to the office in that car"
The second part of the sentence, aside from punctuation, is correct but the meaning is: During that period of time (the 1960's) we continuously went to the office in the car.
In the 1960's, we had a car, we used to go to the office in it.
"Have had/ have (done)" separates the past from the present and should not be used after a specific time (like the 1960's), but may be used before a general indicator of the past. We could say:
"I have had my doubts about his performance (before)."
"I have voiced my concerns (already/in the past)."
We should not say:
"I have had my doubts yesterday."(x) "I had my doubts yesterday."
"I have voiced my concerns three years ago."(x) "I voiced my concerns..."
The specific times separate the action from the present and the simple past, not the past perfect should be used.
You went on to write:
"We are having a car right now. we use that car for our office work"
Let's look at the verb structure "I am (doing)." Originally it meant in the act of doing at the time the speaker utters the sentence. e.g.
"I am cooking dinner."
"I am studying."
And this use was very simple and good, but unfortunately for learners, it came to take on a couple of other functions. The first talks about something we are doing in a more general period of time, meaning that we're not physically doing it at the present but for the period of time concerned we have been and will continue to do it. Why the difference? This gives a sense of temporality to the act, it is as though we are saying "...but only for now." ,"...but that will end at some time." at the end of our sentence. e.g.
A:"What do you do at the university?"
B:"I am studying physics."
A:"Where do you live?"
B:"I'm staying with my mother."
Then there is a third use, when by some twist of logic something we are planning to do becomes something we are doing. What is really meant though, is that everything is decided and ready, we have only to wait for the time to arrive, whether or not this is actually the case.
To be clear (and not confuse this with something we are physically doing at the moment of speech wich may be necessary on the phone or in a letter) we will often refer to the event in the future, or mention a time in the future with the event. e.g.
"I'm taking my dog for a walk this afternoon." (planning to take)
"I'm going back home in the summer."
You had some difficulty with the verb "have", which is understandable since "have" is a very special, and slightly abused verb in English. Apart from "to be" and "to do" I sometimes feel it necessary to list "to have" as one of the basic verbs of English sentences because sometimes it doesn't really make sense as a verb of doing, but one of existence, as separate from being. But I'm only confusing you, let's explain it this way:
There are three main functions of have:
(1)to possess
"I have four apples." "I have rights."
(we can exchange the verb "have" for "possess", but this sounds silly, especially with imaginary things, or things that can't be truly owned)
(2)to exist as a feature of something (a form of there is/are)
"This car has many safety features." "That country has a large population."
(obviously cars and countries cannot possess, we can replace "have" with "there is/are" i.e. There is a large population in that country.)
(3)a helping verb with several functions, to indicate tense, to indicate an action has been requested or required of another, used with any kind of experience and honestly sometimes used when we just need a verb.
"I have done it." "I am having my car washed."
"I had a really hard time in school." "He's having a fit." "We are having exams."
"I don't want to, I have to." and "I'm having a baby."(whatever the devil that means).
So, it will take you a while to undertand "have" completely. But in the meantime do not confuse "I have." (I possess) with "I am having."(which can mean I will experience, or I will do something now or in the future).
I have a car right now.
I am having an exam right now.
I am having an exam tomorrow.
You wrote:
"I will be coming to london next week. hence i will meet you there"
"Hence" confuses even native English speakers. "Hence" just means "from/ away from" (get thee hence), and later came to mean "from this/ from now on" it used to be used to indicate time but at least in American English generally isn't any more (you can note its similarity to "since" which means "after that"). e.g.
We will meet a few days hence (from now).
Henceforth, there will be no more gifts.
"Hence" does not mean "and so" as many people think it does, it means "therefore/from this (previously mentioned fact/information) and is used to make logical conclusions.
"There is no evidence, hence there is no crime."
In the case of your sentence, just use the word "so". I wish more native speakers would do this as well, instead of erroneously using the word "hence".
Finally, you wrote:
I will be coming to london next week. So I will meet once you come there
The sentence while grammatical, doesn't make sense. If the other person is not in London at the time of communication, you cannot say you will come there (even though we say come to London, we mean come to the person in London). People can only come to a place where the listener is at the time of communicating(or will be at the set date, like in an invitation). Really, you can only say that you will "come" to a place where the listener (hearer/reader) already is (or will be).
So: if the person is in London, the second sentence is illogical, if he is not in London, the first is. Here are some examples that might shed some light:
"Stay where you are, I will come to you."
"Don't come here, just stay there."
"She wants yo to come to her house."(x) (go)
"Maybe someday we can both come to my house."(x) (go)
(while not in the hospital)"I came to the hospital to see you, but you weren't there."(x) (went)
But you can say:
(We're both in New York, I live in London)
Me:You should really come to London sometime.(come there[perhaps to see me], when I am there)
(We're at church, talking)
Me: You should really come to my home sometime. (come [to see me] at my home, when I am there)
This is a very complex and irritating rule which varies through languages so...it may take some time to grasp indeed.
Finally, I'm sure you can find all sorts of chat rooms dedicated to discussing English for learning purposes from a simple internet search, good luck.
Also I invite any of the other good patrons of this board to point out errors or make corrections in my explanations.
[Edit and you may send a private message to a moderator, such as BobK and ask him to change the title of the post, just click on his name.]
[Edit: changed an 'e'.]
Last edited by weiming : 03-Sep-2007 at 03:20.
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have; having 
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