present perfect +past simple

[ostap77]

Could I use the present perfect and the past simple as in "Since there's been no internet access,I couldn't get online." ?

 

[bhaisahab]

Could I use the present perfect and the past simple as in "Since there's been no internet access,I couldn't get online." ?

Yes.

 

[spongie]

Present Perfect tells us that there is still no access to the internet? If not, what else does it tell us?

 

[ostap77]

Present Perfect tells us that there is still no access to the internet? If not, what else does it tell us?

What if there's internet access now but I used the present perfect instead of the past simple to extend a point in the past to the moment of speaking and emphasize that there was no internet access. Or does it mean that there's still no internet access?

 

[spongie]

What if there's internet access now but I used the present perfect instead of the past simple to extend a point in the past to the moment of speaking and emphasize that there was no internet access.

I think it is possible to use past simple instead of present perfect but then the sentence would meant that there was no access to the internet in the past. Present Perfect suggests that there is still no access, this tense has its reference to the present.

Or does it mean that there's still no internet access?

As I wrote above, I believe that there is still no internet access, but I'm not exactly sure about it.

 

[ostap77]

I think it is possible to use past simple instead of present perfect but then the sentence would meant that there was no access to the internet in the past. Present Perfect suggests that there is still no access, this tense has its reference to the present.



As I wrote above, I believe that there is still no internet access, but I'm not exactly sure about it.

Why would you be saying that there is still no access?

 

[ridvann]

Could I use the present perfect and the past simple as in "Since there's been no internet access,I couldn't get online." ?

Is 'since' used 'to give the reason for something' or 'from a particular time or event in the past until the present, or in that period of time' in this case?

Thanks...

 

[spongie]

I believe that "since" states the reason because after that there is the result = "I couldn't get online".

 

[ostap77]

I believe that "since" states the reason because after that there is the result = "I couldn't get online".

If I say "Since I've been in France,I could speak French fluently.",would you say that I'm still in France? I suggest we wait for an answer from teachers.

 

[spongie]

Good question ostap77.
"Since I've been in France,I could speak French fluently." = Present Perfect is also used to express the things that we experienced (like visiting France, as you wrote). It doesn't mean that this person is still in France.

I'm also waiting for the teachers' intervention to clear this up.

 

[5jj]

If I say "Since I've been in France,I could speak French fluently.",would you say that I'm still in France? I suggest we wait for an answer from teachers.

The answer to that specific question from this teacher is that that utterance is unnatural. If you mean "I have become able to speak French fluently (only) since I arrived in France", then say it; or consider: "I can speak French fluently now. This has happened (only) since my arrival / during my time in France".

The time you spend trying to find out if it is possible to use tenses/aspects in odd ways would, in my opinion, be better spent working on normal usage.

 

[bhaisahab]

Present Perfect tells us that there is still no access to the internet? If not, what else does it tell us?

"Since there's been no internet access,I couldn't get online."
This means "Because there has been no no internet access I couldn't get online".

 

[spongie]

"Since there's been no internet access,I couldn't get online."
This means "Because there has been no no internet access I couldn't get online".

Oohh. Right. Now I get it. Thanks.

 

[ostap77]

Oohh. Right. Now I get it. Thanks.

1)But it doesn't mean that there is still no internet access, does it?

2) Would this sentence sound better "Since I've been in France, I could speak French with my Belgian friends who came over to visit me."?

 

[emsr2d2]

If there is still no internet access and you want to use since as a time reference:

Since there has been no internet access, I have been unable to get online.

This means that you have been unable to get online from the time that the internet connection crashed until right now. The first half of the sentence though, is not entirely natural. I would be more likely to say:

Since the net crashed, I have been unable to get online.
Since we lost our internet connection, I have been unable to get online.

 

[ostap77]

If there is still no internet access and you want to use since as a time reference:

Since there has been no internet access, I have been unable to get online.

This means that you have been unable to get online from the time that the internet connection crashed until right now. The first half of the sentence though, is not entirely natural. I would be more likely to say:

Since the net crashed, I have been unable to get online.
Since we lost our internet connection, I have been unable to get online.

So the guideline is "Since + the past simple, the present perfect"?

 

[5jj]

So the guideline is "Since + the past simple, the present perfect"?

No. Context!

He has become more intolerant since I've known him
He's become more intolerant since I first met him.

The school has become a nicer place since he's been here.
The school has become a nicer place since he arrived.

 

[ostap77]

No. Context!

He has become more intolerant since I've known him
He's become more intolerant since I first met him.

The school has become a nicer place since he's been here.
The school has become a nicer place since he arrived.

If I used since to mean because 1)'' Since there was an outage,I've been unable to watch TV."

OR

2)"Since there's been an outage , I couldn't watch TV."

OR

3)"Since there's been an outage, I've been unable to watch TV."

 

[5jj]

If I used 'odds' to mean 'ham', and if I used 'ends' to mean 'eggs', and if somebody gave me some odds and ends, and if I had been hungry, I suppose it's possible that I wouldn't be hungry for much longer - unless I decided that 'odds' could mean something different from 'ham', if I so chose. Not to mention the 'ends', so I won't.

 

[ostap77]

If I used 'odds' to mean 'ham', and if I used 'ends' to mean 'eggs', and if somebody gave me some odds and ends, and if I had been hungry, I suppose it's possible that I wouldn't be hungry for much longer - unless I decided that 'odds' could mean something different from 'ham', if I so chose. Not to mention the 'ends', so I won't.

How about 'yes' or 'no', 'how' and 'why" instead?