[Grammar] The present perfect of... are

[nyggus]

Hi,

I found the following sentence in Longman's "Grammar of Spoken and Written English":

"The present perfect of get and have are used in different ways in AmE and BrE" (italics original).​

Can "the present perfect" work as a plural noun, as it does here? Or am I mixing something up?

Thanks,
nyggus

 

[nyggus]

Read this as"The present perfect (forms) of get and have are used in different ways in AmE and BrE" .

Thanks. But is that far-going omission acceptable and clear in idiomatic English? Consider this:

The head of Andrew and Gary are similar.​

which stands for

The head shapes of Andrew and Gary are similar.​

I'm only joking; I don't think it's a correct sentence, but the constructions are similar, aren't they?

 

[Matthew Wai]

No, they aren't, because 'head' is countable, but 'present perfect' is uncountable.

 

[nyggus]

No, they aren't, because 'head' is countable, but 'present perfect' is uncountable.

Good point.

Still, however, I'd like to know whether that far-going omission is acceptable and clear in idiomatic English. I am afraid that I shouldn't use this construction because, as a non-native speaker, I'd be laughed at.

 

[nyggus]

You would not be laughed at, but this is certainly not be something you should copy. It is understandable, but not correct.

Well, actually, I did understand the sentence when I came across it, but I had problems with finding it correct.

So, the sentence is understandable but incorrect. That's not what I'd expect from Longman's "Grammar of Spoken and Written English". On the other hand, it might be just a mistaken omission of word, am I right?

 

[Matthew Wai]

I think 'forms' should not have been omitted.

as a non-native speaker, I'd be laughed at.

As a non-native, I am used to being laughed at.

 

[nyggus]

As a non-native, I am used to being laughed at.

Me too. That's why I'm trying to look for every single possibility to escape the situation of being laughed at.

BTW: I was kind of ironic. Normally I would convey the message in a simpler sentence, but I wanted to give you a possibility to laugh at me.

BTW #2: sorry for saying I was trying to be ironic. It means I myself thought the irony was poor and difficult to grasp. Another possibility to laugh at me. Go ahead, be my guest.