What comes on your mind if I would say 'I had have been being abused by friend of mine while I was working for a company before.'?
Many Asian Language learners have difficulty to use perfect tenses.
Because I have not studied Asian language, even Korean; my mother tongue, I cite a blog.
According to http://blog.naver.com/svs107?Redirect=Log&logNo=20118672411 (I think the blogger has much better knowledge about Korean Language than me. Moreover, I have not studied Korean Language at all.)The main point which is important in this posting is that Korean Language, basically, has only 3 tenses. The PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE tenses.
It could be explained why Asian especially Korean Language learners suffer from using perfect tenses.
Frankly, I do NOT totally understand how to use them exactly. However, I would explain using many grammar reference books.
I cite from Advanced Grammar in Use(2010, Martin Hewings, Cambridge), Azar understanding and using English Grammar(2000, Betty Schrampfer Azar, Longman)
Usually perfect tenses are explained with the picture up there.
The problem is that we sometimes confuse how to match the situation we want to talk about and those simple, so called, 'the simplest explanation of perfect tenses'.
PAST PERFECT
I used to ask to myself what tense I should use if I played baseball last Saturday?
If we see the picture posted up there, past perfect is used one event had progressed in the past and finished in the past. It sounds like 'the paradox of Zenon(If a turtle starts a race earlier, even Achilles, the fastest human in ancient era could not win the race). How can it be explained?
To long story short, the only difference between PAST SIMPLE tense and PAST PERFECT is whether a point occurs or not.
Let us assume that we are talking about the baseball game we played last Saturday.
As a past simple I can say 'I hit two home-runs in last game.'
However, I should say 'Tony had hit before I hit the two run home-run.'
Can you find any difference between those two sentences?
Yep!! you got this!!!
In the first sentence, there is no point after the EVENT(Home-run), but there is one in the second one.
In the second one, the event(two run home-run) exists.
Just remember!! The one exact(??) point!!!
Present Perfect
According to my former English teacher, Nassar, the simple present tenses are used only 3 per cent on our everyday conversation.
That is true. I hardly can heard simple present. Most of the 'hardly' is on television. Usually sports show!
My friend 'Jiwon' have complaint about her English conversation teacher that she keeps using present tense instead of past tense. I could not fully see the situation, but I could explain that simple present could be used to describe past events virtually!
For example, Joker in Batman The Dark Knight explains how he got the scars on his face. He definitely uses the present tense.
'Wanna know how I got these scars? My father was a drinker and a fiend. He'd beat mommy right in front of me.
One night he goes off crazier than usual, mommy gets the kitchen knife to defend herself. He doesn't like that. Not. One. Bit. So, me watching, he takes the knife to her, laughing while he does it. Turns to me and says 'why so serious?' Comes at me with the knife-
'why so serious?' Sticks the blade in my mouth- 'Let's put a smile on that face'
Do you know what is happening here? He talks to give impact about what he experienced.
There are 13 situations the present tense has to be used. Let us talk about them later.
I go too far to simple present. Now talk about the main issue here.
As we can see the picture up there, present perfect is used to explain a event started in the past and finish at the present. Referring to 'Advanced Grammar in Use', Time expressions that refer to the present, such as this morning/week/month and today, can be used with either past simple or present perfect verbs.
Easy example:
- I did not meet my girlfriend this week.
(It is evening of Sunday. So I have no chance to meet my girlfriend)
- I have not met my girlfriend this week.
(I have not met my girlfriend, but I might have chance to meet her in this week.)
Easy Pizzy! (Actually it is not that easy!) But only thing you can get is that both of past simple and present perfect could be alternated each others in everyday language.
there are lots of things about tenses but it is 3 in the morning. I have to sleep! lol
tomorrow, I will discuss more about present perfect, simple and so on!! lol
