What is the purpose of the Present Perfect?

[Xui]

And, for that matter, what exactly is a "time frame"? You going hyper-cognitive on us?

It doesn't matter if you don't know.

Too late for that now.

[fluffyhamster]

It doesn't matter if you don't know.

Ooh, the delicious irony! Of course nothing that you say matters, Xui! That's what everyone's been saying to you for years!

Too late for that now.

Yes, it is a bit.

And don't anyone dare say, "It's never too late!"

[Xui]

It doesn't matter if you don't know.

Ooh, the delicious irony! Of course nothing that you say matters, Xui! That's what everyone's been saying to you for years!

Too late for that now.

Yes, it is a bit.

And don't anyone dare say, "It's never too late!"

It has been explained in the thread that has been deleted.

[fluffyhamster]

It has been explained in the thread that has been deleted.

I think I speak for everyone when I say what a great loss that deletion was. Hats off, ten minute's silence.

Actually, why not make it an unlimited silence, such is the scale of this intellectual travesty I mean tragedy!

[Xui]

It has been explained in the thread that has been deleted.

I think I speak for everyone when I say what a great loss that deletion was. Hats off, ten minute's silence.

Actually, why not make it an unlimited silence, such is the scale of this intellectual travesty I mean tragedy!

You are correct!

[metal56]

Mini-dialogue:

Anne: I haven't seen Stella for some time.

Bette: "She's has been ill.
---

Is Stella still ill at the moment of B's reply?

[revel]

Hey all!

Not being sure of Stella's current state of health from the somewhat ambiguous answer I received, and not being the kind of person who picks up and leaves without a word at that moment, I would have to ask:

Anne: Oh, is she better now?

which sounds suspiciously like part of a polite conversation that is being done maybe to fill in time, or maybe simply to inform. Had Bette said:

Bette: She's been ill. But she's better now.

I might have gone on to the next stage, like:

Anne: Oh, that's good, when will she be back to work?

When in doubt, ask! Maybe the first answer of "She's been ill." was just a bit of conversational bait, I know something you didn't know, and what's more, I know something else but you'll have to ask me first so that this conversation stretches out a bit while I finish my coffee and we don't have to pass a long embarrassing silence together.

Thank goodness it's Friday!

peace,
revel.

[metal56]

Hey all!

Not being sure of Stella's current state of health from the somewhat ambiguous answer I received, and not being the kind of person who picks up and leaves without a word at that moment, I would have to ask:

Anne: Oh, is she better now?

which sounds suspiciously like part of a polite conversation that is being done maybe to fill in time, or maybe simply to inform. Had Bette said:

Bette: She's been ill. But she's better now.

I might have gone on to the next stage, like:

Anne: Oh, that's good, when will she be back to work?

When in doubt, ask! Maybe the first answer of "She's been ill." was just a bit of conversational bait, I know something you didn't know, and what's more, I know something else but you'll have to ask me first so that this conversation stretches out a bit while I finish my coffee and we don't have to pass a long embarrassing silence together.

Thank goodness it's Friday!

peace,
revel.

Hi Rev

I like the lightness and humour of your posts.



If only the world was how Grice had painted it. Yes, I do think you may have been too long in the ESL classroom if you have to force a polite reply from Anne:

Anne: Oh, is she better now?



Many times we don't even reply in such a way:

Anne: I haven't seen Stella for some time.

Bette: She's been ill.

Anne: 'Shame. Anyway, about that new dress I bought...



Grice was nice, but we are not always so.

[metal56]

In another forum, I maintained that any Present Perfect action has, though unmentioned, actually a definite time frame, that is, the time period in which the action happens and finishes.

What's your take on this:


Out of context, two interpretations of this sentence:

"Phil has been in Dallas since September last."

1. The universal/continuance perfect. (The most common reading):

Phil has been in Dallas since September last.



SEPT LAST/*LB---------------------------------RB/NOW/*UT/RB

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.........


2. The experiential reading. (Less common)

Phil has been in Dallas since September last.


SEPT LAST/LB--------------------------------- RB/NOW/UT/RB

0000000000000000xxxx00000xxxx000000000.................


xxxxxx = Phil in Dallas

00000 = Phil not in Dallas

LB = left boundary, the start of the perfect time span.

UT/RB = utterance time, which is included in the right boundary, i.e. end of perfect time span.