Present perfect or past tense?

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 5:26 pm

I came across this sentence in a textbook "But two months later, he has become the greatest Internet enthusiast I know." Is it possible to use preent perfect here?

Macavity · Post by **Macavity** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 6:00 pm

As I see it present perfect is being used - "has become".

thethinker · Post by **thethinker** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 6:22 pm

I suppose you're concerned by the phrase "two months later", since the rule we normally give is that we don't use present perfect when we mention a specific time. An exception to this is with phrases like "today", "this month", "this year", all of which can be used with present perfect. In your example, "two months later" probably just means "today", as in "At the end of August he was just an unknown MP, but two months later he has become president".

Macavity · Post by **Macavity** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 8:26 pm

Sorry, misread your question!

As thethinker says "two months later" establishes the here and now whilst at the same time linking back to a previous period or event, etc. not explicit here. I must admit I sort of had the feeling it was a little too easy for this kind of company - apologies for my rather glib reply

lolwhites · Post by **lolwhites** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 9:46 pm

the rule we normally give is that we don't use present perfect when we mention a specific time. An exception to this is with phrases like "today", "this month", "this year", all of which can be used with present perfect.

It may be the "rule we normally give", but it would be better described as a guideline. We can use today/this month/year/century... because we're referring to a time that hasn't finished i.e. it's a present time, not a past time. "Don't use Present Perfect with a specific past time" is a more useful guideline; that way you don't rule out perfectly good language like Have you had breakfast this morning?

thethinker · Post by **thethinker** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 10:07 pm

I quite agree. I used that expression because presumably that's what had caused Gabried's original confusion.

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 5:22 am

This is the context it came from: "After a few days he had a super-computer which he hadn't a clue what to do with. But two months later, he has become the greatest Internet enthusiast I know. He now uses words like 'log on' and 'IP address' like he's been using them all his life." Would it be possible to use past tense (he became) here instead of present perfect?

Macavity · Post by **Macavity** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 7:34 am

It’s perfectly possible to do this, yes. But then there is a change in meaning; we receive different information when the simple past is used. With it as it stands we can deduce the “A few days later he had a super- computer....” happens at the end of August. If you change this and insert instead the simple past or the past perfect then there’s a break; the time is no longer open and there’s a lack of continuity. These events could have happened at the end of March, or even five years ago.

fluffyhamster · Post by **fluffyhamster** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 9:31 am

There's nothing wrong with the passage, but a rewrite along the lines of '(Two months ago) he got a super computer and hadn't a clue what to do with it; but now (only two months later/after only two months), he is/has become...'.

The time of the utterances in relation to now (and/or to the "now" of a possible fictional story's narrative) depends simply on when they were apparently said or written.

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 12:11 pm

So in this example "two months ago" means "now, two months later". Yes, in this way it makes sense. Ok thank you!