present perfect with "since"

[Abu Dhabi]

I am also curious about if it is right to use present perfect in clause starting with "since".
I feel sad since you have left me.

Does it have the same meaning as "I feel sad since you left me." ?
Hopefully, some teachers could help us. Thanks.

 

[Barb_D]

Hi,
When you use "since" to show a period of time, you go back to a specific time reference, and should use simple past.

The word can also be used to mean "because." When you use the present perfect with since, it sounds like you're saying that's the reason you are sad, not the length of time you've been sad.

 

[emsr2d2]

I am also curious about if it is right to use present perfect in clause starting with "since".
I feel sad since you have left me.

Does it have the same meaning as "I feel sad since you left me." ?
Hopefully, some teachers could help us. Thanks.

My personal feeling about this is that the sentence should read:

I have felt sad since you left me.

You began to feel sad at the time the person left you and it appears that you still feel sad. Your use of the word "since" is what suggests this - a period of time which started in the past but continues into the present.

It also occurred to me that "I feel sad since you left me" could be misconstrued. We use "since" in place of "because" quite regularly. For example:

I think I'll take my umbrella since it's raining = I think I'll take my umbrella because it's raining.

 

[vil]

I’m not a teacher.

Hi…

In the present case since is used to indicate the starting point of the action. If the conjunction since introduces a clause, the verb in this clause is in the Past Indefinite.

Where have you been since last Thursday?

I haven’t see you since Monday.

Have you been alone, Florence, since I was here last? (Dickens)

It has been two years since I had a vacation. (I haven’t had a vacation for two years.)

It has been ages since you visited us.

They have known each other since they were in college.

I have felt sad since you left me.

Regards,

V.