former
Member
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2011
- Member Type
- Other
- Native Language
- English
- Home Country
- Thailand
- Current Location
- Thailand
Greetings,
I have recently been caught out, so to speak, when I asked a student during a game to conjugate the verb 'begin' in the present perfect. She replied:
"I have begun studying for 3 years"
As a native speaker, this struck me as incorrect. I believe this is grammatically correct (insert another verb other than 'begin' e.g "I have studied for 3 years), but it simply doesn't make sense. For the sake of clarity, I know how to say this correctly using other tenses:
"I have begun studying" (no time expression)
or
"I have been studying for 3 years"
or
"I began studying 3 years ago"
But, the question was for the student to use the verb 'begin' in the present perfect.
My conclusion, and I am fully prepared to be told I'm wrong, is that it is grammatically correct, but it just doesn't make sense to "have begun" doing something for 3 threes. In my mind, this statements means I have been on chapter 1 page 1 everyday for three years. Even if the student's answer was:
"I have begun studying since 2009"
I would think the same: It's grammatically correct, but it doesn't make sense.
This is my first post here. Please don't dump on me. I'm a new teacher, and I'm just looking for some insight from some of the old sages here.
Thanks in advance.
former
I have recently been caught out, so to speak, when I asked a student during a game to conjugate the verb 'begin' in the present perfect. She replied:
"I have begun studying for 3 years"
As a native speaker, this struck me as incorrect. I believe this is grammatically correct (insert another verb other than 'begin' e.g "I have studied for 3 years), but it simply doesn't make sense. For the sake of clarity, I know how to say this correctly using other tenses:
"I have begun studying" (no time expression)
or
"I have been studying for 3 years"
or
"I began studying 3 years ago"
But, the question was for the student to use the verb 'begin' in the present perfect.
My conclusion, and I am fully prepared to be told I'm wrong, is that it is grammatically correct, but it just doesn't make sense to "have begun" doing something for 3 threes. In my mind, this statements means I have been on chapter 1 page 1 everyday for three years. Even if the student's answer was:
"I have begun studying since 2009"
I would think the same: It's grammatically correct, but it doesn't make sense.
This is my first post here. Please don't dump on me. I'm a new teacher, and I'm just looking for some insight from some of the old sages here.
Thanks in advance.
former