Korean Job Discussion Forums

[rhinocharge64]

Could anybody tell me if this is gramatically correct or not please.

'A number of my friends are going on holiday next week. How many holidays have you had...?

Is the present perfect tense correct or should it be 'How many holidays did you have...'? Referring to past tense. In the context of the sentence I think the former rather than the latter is more correct, but I am slightly unsure.

Thanks in advance

The Charge

[spyro25]

Present perfect is right here.

[rhinocharge64]

Yes, actions or events that have been completed or that have happend up to the present time. So, is the former or the latter sentence is correct. I see nothing wrong in the former, but my boss does!!

Cheers

[Novernae]

Your boss is wrong.
Unless the context is that the person has stopped working and therefore has no more potential holidays, or the time is defined later in the sentence as being a period of time that is over (how many did you have last year, for example).
The present perfect is used when the action is complete, but the period of time continues. How much have you eaten today? (today is not complete, but the eating up to now is, even though you might eat more later) How much did you eat yesterday? (action is complete and so is the time period). If the time period is not defined, then the present perfect defines it as a time up to now, usually obvious by the context.

I don't know if any of this will help you explain it to your boss, but unless there is more context given, present perfect is correct here.

[daskalos]

So your boss has trouble with the first part. Is your boss a native speaker? I suspect not.

We often use the the simple present tenses to express action in the future. The past, present and future-ness of verbs is a grammatical function that doesn't always correlate with the objective reality of Time.

"A number of my friends are going on holiday next week" is perfectly correct, as is the present perfect in the second sentence.

[rhinocharge64]

Yes, some slight confusion, but once he read the context it had been written in he understood the point.


Thanks to all who offered advice, it's always appreciated.


Cheers The Charge