Im a Japanese speaker. Please teach me English on Present Perfect.
1. He has lived in NY for 3years.
2. She has studied English for 3years.
In 1st one, is he still in NY now?
In 2nd one, Did she finish it??
thanx in advance!
2006-08-16 19:36:17 · 11 answers · asked by joejapan8 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
He is still living in NY and she is still studying English. If he wasn't and she didn't you would use past perfect, "He had lived..." and "She had studied..."
EDIT: For the people who are saying the activity is finished, they are not native speakers apparently. "He has lived in NY for 3 years and won't ever move away" (he is still living in New York). "She has studied English for 3 years and still isn't finished" (she is still studying English). Perfect does NOT always imply completed action. PAST Perfect always implies completed action.
2006-08-16 19:57:16 · answer #1 · answered by Taivo 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Sorry that this is a very difficult concept to explain in English.
In no.1. can mean either 'NY de sannenkan sunda koto ga aru' i.e. he had the experience of living in NY, but he is not there now.
But, it could also mean he is still in NY. i.e. Ima made NY de sannenkan sunde-imashita. Context would help explain. If this statement was made in N.Y. it means he still lives there. If he isn't in NY then he doesn't live there now.
Same goes for no.2. Either she has had the experience of studying English for three years, but doesn't anymore. Or, she has studied English for 3 years ( and will continue for another 3).
The Present Perfect only explains what has happened up to the current point in time i.e. now, but doesn't give any info about if the situation will continue into the future.
Hope this helps.
2006-08-17 08:24:04 · answer #2 · answered by J9 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Has or Have " of Present Perfect tense indicates an activity which has been performed and is over. So "He" is no more in NY and "She" has completed her studies.
In case, the activity is still under way then you should use Present Perfect Continuous tense.Your sentences will be translated as below in case the activity is continuing:
1. He has been living in NY for the past 3 years.
2.She has been studying English for the past 3 years.
Best of luck !
2006-08-17 03:05:42 · answer #3 · answered by Ashok Pipal (India) 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
He is still in NY.
She is still studying.
When the present perfect is used with "since" or "for" it is ALWAYS used to indicate something that began in the past and continues to the present.
Only when the present perfect is used with no time indicator can it indicate something that is finished--the implication then is that the effects of the activity are somehow still seen in the present.
He has lived in NY (so he knows how to hail a taxi/so he thinks the rent in Nebraska is really cheap/so he expects to find a restaurant open at any time of day or night/so he always bolts his door).
She has studied English (so she speaks really well/but she hasn't had much practice/and now she thinks she can teach it).
2006-08-17 03:42:01 · answer #4 · answered by Goddess of Grammar 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Both are Present Perfect, as you indicate, and not the Simple Past. Both are incomplete which means they are still going on.
Compare:
He has lived in NY for 3 years ....and....
He lived in NY for 3 years
....and ask the question about which is finished.
Ans: Only the second one
2006-08-17 02:59:11 · answer #5 · answered by Bart S 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
depends on the conversation... but he is most likely in NY still, say if he moved then it would say He use to live in NY or He lived in NY for 3 years...
and the same for the second sentence...depends on the conversation
2006-08-17 02:43:00 · answer #6 · answered by kawika712 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
He is still in NY.
She has completed 3 years of English study.
2006-08-17 03:16:41 · answer #7 · answered by me 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
both the simple past and the present perfect tense indicate an action happended in the past but the difference goes to the time of happening- it is indefinite in present perfect , but definite in simple past.in the simple past the time is important , but in the present perfect the action is important.
eg. i lost my keys yesterday.
------------
I've lost my keys.(u don't know if it's found)
2006-08-17 05:27:37 · answer #8 · answered by Reza H 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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#1, it is past tense, so it sounds that he has left, for present, he has been living in ny for 3 years
#2, it is also past tense, so she has ended her studies.
by adding "ed" to words like live and study it makes them in the past.
i hope this information is helpful
2006-08-17 06:15:40 · answer #9 · answered by kate 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Here's all you need to know about the present perfect tense:
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfect.html
2006-08-17 02:43:16 · answer #10 · answered by Richard B 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋