Since his accident...

Metamorfose · Post by **Metamorfose** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:36 am

Taken from The Lexical Approach, page 138.

Since his accident he can only do light work.

I might sound pendantic but is this since sinonym to because or should have Lewis wriiten he's only been able to...?

What do you say?

José

fluffyhamster · Post by **fluffyhamster** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 4:47 am

It seems alright to me to use 'can' with 'since' (the 'since' meaning 'from that time') - it's obviously quicker than saying 'has only been able to'.

Does the following sound any better to you? Since his accident, he doesn't like having visitors.

If you cut the 'Since his accident' part, what we're left with is just a "present" statement about his ability (He can only/He can't...).

It's interesting to ponder how far back the use of Simple Present extends, and how exactly this differs from using Present Perfect, but it's not worth pulling your hair out over is it (unless you aspire to ending up like Shun/Xui). I myself would just view them as roughly synonymous, the one being a shorthand way of saying the other, but I'm sure you knew this already.

Metamorfose · Post by **Metamorfose** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 1:11 pm

How interesting things can get....

Since I first met this site here I've improved my English and my understand of English a lot.

Since my graduation I can't find myself a job.

Very nice, and don't worry, I won't pull my hairs out in a panic at the public square because the sentence doesn't have the Present Perfect and different to the one you cited, I really want to know

José

stephen · Post by **stephen** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:45 pm

Since his accident, he can only do light work.

This would suggest that this limit to light work extends into the forseeable future with no expectation of change.

Since his accident, he has only been able to do light work.

This way of putting it suggests since his accident until now light work has been all he has able to do, but you expect a full recovery in the future.

Is this explanation acceptable?

lolwhites · Post by **lolwhites** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 3:24 pm

I would argue that the two are interchangeable but the emphasis is different. He can... refers to then, now and may well extend into the future whereas he has been able... only refers to the time from the accident until now. You might well be more likely to use the latter if you expected a recovery, but I wouldn't necessarily infer a recovery from the use of present perfect.

fluffyhamster · Post by **fluffyhamster** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 3:29 pm

I'm not sure that I see the subtle nuances that you do, Stephen; that is, in both instances, there is that big whopping since-clause doing the work of the Present Perfect, and who can tell if a miraculous recovery or not will occur beyond the moment of speaking (I myself just don't see the guy being pencilled in for the Olympic powerlifting team just yet in either case).

Oh, hiya lol, you got in just before me (almost simultaneous posts).