The present perfect tense

[sebayanpendam]

Hi,
Is the usage of the present perfect tense in this sentence correct?
"I have seen him crying for five times this week."

Thanksi

 

[emsr2d2]

Hi,
Is the usage of the present perfect tense in this sentence correct?
"I have seen him crying [STRIKE]for[/STRIKE] five times this week."

Thanks.

The tense is fine but there was no need for the preposition.

 

[Barb_D]

Only if the week is still in progress. It wouldn't make sense at 11 pm on Saturday, for example.

Delete the "for."

 

[emsr2d2]

Only if the week is still in progress. It wouldn't make sense at 11 pm on Saturday, for example.

Delete the "for."

Does a week not run from Monday morning until Sunday night for you? If it were 11pm on Saturday, would you have used "last week" then?

For me, "this week" can mean "during the last 6/7 days" or "the next 6/7 days" and the tense used would determine which one.

I've been shopping five times this week. (Previous days)
I'm going shopping five times this week. (Future days)

 

[Barb_D]

Good point. My week starts on Sunday and ends on Saturday.
So by 11 pm, my week is essentially over, and the tense would be "saw." (I'd still use "this" week.)


As I'm sure you saw, we posted simultaneously (two minutes is simultaneous when I'm typing with my thumbs) so my post wasn't meant as a rebuttal to yours.

In short, use present perfect if you could add "so far" before "this week."

 

[emsr2d2]

Good point. My week starts on Sunday and ends on Saturday.
So by 11 pm, my week is essentially over, and the tense would be "saw." (I'd still use "this" week.)


As I'm sure you saw, we posted simultaneously (two minutes is simultaneous when I'm typing with my thumbs) so my post wasn't meant as a rebuttal to yours.

In short, use present perfect if you could add "so far" before "this week."

I saw that they were simultaneous posts and as always it's interesting to see how many different takes there are on every question! My week used to run from Sunday to Saturday but having been out of my previous job for over three years now, I have fallen back into the Monday to Sunday routine.

Interesting that you would use "saw" with "this week" though. I wouldn't. With "saw", I would expect "last week".

I have seen it five times this week.
I saw it five times last week.
So far, I have seen it five times this week.

 

[Barb_D]

How about "this last week"?

 

[5jj]

How about "this last week"?

I'd use that for the seven-day period ending today.

 

[Barb_D]

I'd use that for the seven-day period ending today.

So would I. I had my 11 pm Saturday (last day of my week) scenario in mind. I should have said "this last week" there instead of simply "last week."

 

[emsr2d2]

I would use "this last week" to mean any seven-day period ending at the time of speaking. If I were speaking at 3pm on a Tuesday afternoon and said "This last week, I've had twenty-five phone calls from someone trying to get me to buy antivirus software for my computer". That would mean I had received those calls in the seven days starting last Tuesday and leading up to today.

 

[Barb_D]

Interesting. "In the last week" feels better for me for any seven-day period, more than "this last week." Still, if it were Tuesday and not Saturday I would know what you meant. And if it were Tuesday and you said simply "last week" with the past I would assume the prior Sunday-Saturday week.