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TwinCentre · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 273 Location: Mokotow

Just to complicate things further for students, in the past 15 years or so the rules with the present perfect have started to change.

On BBC/CNN...they often say things like..

'A plane has crashed last Tuesday'

Or

[b] 'A New approach has been invented in the 1930s'

So, present perfect for specified and completed past events that are being told to the listener seemingly for the first time - i.e 'new news'

dutchman · Joined: 10 Mar 2010 Posts: 84

This is quite interesting actually...But both of you are American. Can anyone from the UK say something on this? It might be one of the AmE / BrE differences. I definitely remember a few Englishmen saying there is a difference between Present Perf. and Present Perf. Cont. in terms of likelihood of the action continuing in future. (e.g. I came across this the other day: http://www.english-test.net/forum/ftopic5034.html)

Kofola · Joined: 20 Feb 2009 Posts: 159 Location: Slovakia

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

'A plane has crashed last Tuesday'

Or

[b] 'A New approach has been invented in the 1930s'

I think these are just wrong usage. I teach young Dutchmen/women Very Happy

johnslat · Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 2:46 pm Post subject:

Dear spiral78,

I agree - although the opposite mistake (using the simple past when the present perfect is required) seems to me to be the more common error.
I hear it quite often on TV here.
Regards,
John

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Dear John:

I done it, you mean?

Yeah, there are a few programmes....featuring persons who hopefully don't aim to teach the language!

It's just wrong Cool

And perhaps lazy. But that's one for the Peeves thread, probably!

cau
spiral

johnslat · Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 2:57 pm Post subject:

Dear spiral78,

Well, acutally, I was writing about a mistake such as this:

"Well, Bill, I can't recall that Bret ever threw an interception like that one before. He looks really disgusted with himself, doesn't he?"

Regards,
John

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Dear John:

'has ever thrown...' beyond the sportscasters, eh?
Maybe it's a matter of fast action requiring fewer words, making it a grammatical (rather than syllabic) reduction.
In any case, I suppose that very few of their audience notice Cool

Best regards,
spiral