He was the CEO since 2004.

[Sibx]

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How do think I would say it?

Please answer without responding with a lecture.

I would if I knew what you meant.

 

[Sibx]

We all encourage users to try and work out the correct wording themselves rather than just spoonfeeding them. My response to your post #17 would have been almost the same as 5jj's. I would have pointed out that you can only start something once so you need to work out what the appropriate tense would be.

I don't understand if this is about the phrasing or the tenses.

 

[Tarheel]

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I would if I knew what you meant.

I am a native speaker of the language. (American English). It's in my profile information. The question is: how would a native speaker say it?

This exchange should give you a clue as to what you have to work on.

 

[Sibx]

I had been breaking out in hives since November?
I had started breaking out in hives since November?

I think it's obvious I'm trying to understand the rules of grammar here, which don't always align with how a native might phrase certain sentences.

 

[jutfrank]

If you tell us fully what you want to say, we can help you say it. At the moment, it's not clear what you mean.

 

[Tarheel]

I had been breaking out in hives since November?
I had started breaking out in hives since November?

The first sentence tells me that it (the breaking out in hives) isn't happening anymore. What's the question mark for?

I don't know what the second sentence means. What is it supposed to mean? What is the question mark for?

 

[Sibx]

The first sentence tells me that it (the breaking out in hives) isn't happening anymore. What's the question mark for?

I don't know what the second sentence means. What is it supposed to mean? What is the question mark for?

Thank you for your help.
The question marks were sort of in response to you asking how I thought you'd phrase those sentences.
I get that the second one doesn't make sense.
Thank you.

 

[Sibx]

If you tell us fully what you want to say, we can help you say it. At the moment, it's not clear what you mean.

I was simply trying to understand how the tenses would be used in those sentences if they referred to something that was in the past.

 

[jutfrank]

Do you want to try asking another question? If so, try to make it fairly specific.

 

[emsr2d2]

I was simply trying to understand how the tenses would be used in those sentences if they referred to something that was in the past.

Your sentences so far have started with "I was breaking out", "I started", "I had been breaking out" and "I had started". Those verb forms automatically place your situation in the past so we already knew that you were talking about the past.
Did you understand our point about something being able to start only once (at one singular point in time)? It's not ongoing so there's a particular tense that doesn't work. Do you know which one?

 

[Sibx]

Your sentences so far have started with "I was breaking out", "I started", "I had been breaking out" and "I had started". Those verb forms automatically place your situation in the past so we already knew that you were talking about the past.
Did you understand our point about something being able to start only once (at one singular point in time)? It's not ongoing so there's a particular tense that doesn't work. Do you know which one?

I get that you mean 'I had started' would be incorrect.
But what if it was actually ongoing?
Consider this:
One day I broke out in hives on my arm, the next day on my leg and it continued that way...
So, my sentence with the past perfect could be elaborated to mean, 'I had started breaking out in hives every day since November, until I went to see an allergist and was put on medication.'

If something started at a certain point and continues up to the present moment or continued up to a certain point in the past, can't the perfect tenses be used then?
E.g
For the first time in my life, I have started to realize I need to set some boundaries.
As opposed to I started...

 

[Sibx]

Do you want to try asking another question? If so, try to make it fairly specific.

My question, initially, was about the use of simple and continuous tenses in the main clause instead of perfect tenses in a sentence with temporal since.
So I used example sentences with past continuous, 'I was breaking out' and simple past, 'I started breaking out'...but I suppose those tenses do not work in the main clause.
But from there it turned into a discussion about the phrasing itself because of the word 'started' and I got sidetracked.

 

[jutfrank]

Consider this:
One day I broke out in hives on my arm, the next day on my leg and it continued that way ... until I went to see an allergist and was put on medication.'

Okay, I see now. You mean this:

I'd been breaking out in hives since November.

If something started at a certain point and continues up to the present moment or continued up to a certain point in the past, can't the perfect tenses be used then?

Yes, of course they can. In fact, that's exactly what they do.

 

[Sibx]

Okay, I see now. You mean this:

I'd been breaking out in hives since November.



Yes, of course they can. In fact, that's exactly what they do.

Thank you.

So my example sentences with the perfect tenses, 'I'd been breaking out', 'I'd started breaking out' are correct?

But with the simple and continuous tenses, 'I was breaking out', 'I started breaking out' are incorrect because of the temporal since?

 

[jutfrank]

So my example sentences with the perfect tenses, 'I'd been breaking out', 'I'd started breaking out' are correct?

No, it doesn't make sense to use the verb 'started' since starting is not something that happened repeatedly. The repeated action you're describing is 'breaking out', not 'starting'. You broke out several times but you started only once.

I've been getting headaches every day since November. [This expresses repetition and frequency]
I started getting headaches in November. [This marks only the starting point]

But with the simple and continuous tenses, 'I was breaking out', 'I started breaking out' are incorrect because of the temporal since?

That's one reason, yes.

 

[Sibx]

No, it doesn't make sense to use the verb 'started' since starting is not something that happened repeatedly. The repeated action you're describing is 'breaking out', not 'starting'. You broke out several times but you started only once.

I've been getting headaches every day since November. [This expresses repetition and frequency]
I started getting headaches in November. [This marks only the starting point]



That's one reason, yes.

Thank you. Does that mean have or had 'started' generally don't make sense? Or are there intances where start can be used with the perfect tenses?

 

[emsr2d2]

Of course "start" can be used in the perfect tense.

I've started ten businesses.
He's just started cooking dinner.
My son has started hiccuping again. That's six times today!

 

[jutfrank]

Does that mean have or had 'started' generally don't make sense? Or are there intances where start can be used with the perfect tenses?

It means 'start' doesn't work with present or past perfect continuous. It's the continuous aspect that clashes with the aspect of the verb 'start', not the perfect aspect.

The verb 'start' is tricky in that it casts different lexical aspect in different contexts. Whenever it marks a point in time, it can never be used in any kind of continuous clause.

 

[Sibx]

It means 'start' doesn't work with present or past perfect continuous. It's the continuous aspect that clashes with the aspect of the verb 'start', not the perfect aspect.

The verb 'start' is tricky in that it casts different lexical aspect in different contexts. Whenever it marks a point in time, it can never be used in any kind of continuous clause.

Thank you so much for clearing that up.

 

[Sibx]

Which grammar references and discussion forums are those? Including this forum? I'm not convinced there's a consensus on your assumptions in post #1.

If you could post a link to one or two of these sources, I think it would help things along.

Could you give your feedback on my post #13?
I've been trying to understand the various instances where simple tenses are allowable in the main clause. There seem to be a lot of exceptions to the rules.