Alice Chu
Member
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2019
- Member Type
- English Teacher
- Native Language
- Chinese
- Home Country
- Taiwan
- Current Location
- Taiwan
Please tell me if my understanding is correct.
1. Present perfect tense cannot mean something is happening at the moment of speaking.
2. From the context, we can know whether present perfect continuous tense means something is happening at the moment of speaking.
1) After Lisa cleaned the house for three hours, it was tidy and looked nice.
It means “cleaning” lasted for three hours and ended in the past and has nothing to do with the present.
2) Lisa has cleaned the house for three hours. Now it is tidy and looks nice.
It means “cleaning” lasted for three hours and ended in the past and has a result or effect in the present.
3) Lisa is sitting on the sofa and feels tired because she has been cleaning the house for three hours.
It means “cleaning” lasted for three hours and ended not long before now and has a result or effect in the present.
4) Lisa is cleaning the house. She has been cleaning it for three hours, but it is still in a mess.
It means “cleaning” started three hours ago and has continued until the present without a break, and it is happening at the moment of speaking.
5) Joe is playing golf with his friends. He has been playing golf for two years/twice a week for two years. He likes the sport very much.
It means “playing golf” happens repeatedly or regularly in a long period of two years, and it is happening at the moment of speaking.
Is “twice a week” necessary here?
We cannot use “has played” here, can we?
6) Joe and his friends are at the restaurant.
Joe said to his friends, “I have played/have been playing golf for two years/twice a week for two years. I like the sport very much.”
It means “playing golf” happens repeatedly or regularly in a long period of two years, and it is not happening at the moment of speaking.
Is “twice a week” necessary here?
We can use “have been playing” here, can’t we?
1. Present perfect tense cannot mean something is happening at the moment of speaking.
2. From the context, we can know whether present perfect continuous tense means something is happening at the moment of speaking.
1) After Lisa cleaned the house for three hours, it was tidy and looked nice.
It means “cleaning” lasted for three hours and ended in the past and has nothing to do with the present.
2) Lisa has cleaned the house for three hours. Now it is tidy and looks nice.
It means “cleaning” lasted for three hours and ended in the past and has a result or effect in the present.
3) Lisa is sitting on the sofa and feels tired because she has been cleaning the house for three hours.
It means “cleaning” lasted for three hours and ended not long before now and has a result or effect in the present.
4) Lisa is cleaning the house. She has been cleaning it for three hours, but it is still in a mess.
It means “cleaning” started three hours ago and has continued until the present without a break, and it is happening at the moment of speaking.
5) Joe is playing golf with his friends. He has been playing golf for two years/twice a week for two years. He likes the sport very much.
It means “playing golf” happens repeatedly or regularly in a long period of two years, and it is happening at the moment of speaking.
Is “twice a week” necessary here?
We cannot use “has played” here, can we?
6) Joe and his friends are at the restaurant.
Joe said to his friends, “I have played/have been playing golf for two years/twice a week for two years. I like the sport very much.”
It means “playing golf” happens repeatedly or regularly in a long period of two years, and it is not happening at the moment of speaking.
Is “twice a week” necessary here?
We can use “have been playing” here, can’t we?