| How can I help you? vs. What can I do for you? | Phrasal verb "back off" |
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 Fri Jul 28, 2006 13:02 pm Use of the word since |
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| bara wrote: | Hi guys,
That was really fantastic discussion. 
May I try mine, if you don't mind.
Ever since I've joined this forum, my English has raised up.
Ever since he's bought a car, he hasn't could see us.
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Hi Baraa
Your sentences should use the simple past tense after "since" because the verbs "join" and "buy" refer to specific, complete actions in the past which mark the point in time when something else began.
Ever since I joined this forum, my English level has been rising.
Since I joined this forum, my English level has risen.
(Ever) since he bought a car, he hasn't been able to visit us.
(The last sentence is grammatically correct, but I don't understand the logic of the sentence.  )
Putting the word "Ever" in front of "since", makes it more likely that you will need the present perfect continuous in the second half of the sentence.
Note: raise is not normally used with "up" and the verb "raise" also always needs an object. Without an object, you should use rise (also without "up").
You can't use can or could in present perfect (or with any modal verb). In order to get the same meaning as "can" in the present perfect or with modal verbs, etc, you have to use "be able to" instead:
He can speak English.
He has been able to speak English since he was a child.
He will be able to speak English after he finishes the course.
Amy
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| Fri Jul 28, 2006 13:43 pm Use of the word since |
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You're right, Tamara, about the use of a continuous tense after 'ever since'. This expression means 'from that time onwards', 'continually since that time' and gives the idea of something happening gradually.
Now, as to Baraa's second example, I'd put it like this:
Ever since he bought a car, he hasn't been able to see us (can/could/been able to).
PS: Oops, I hadn't seen your post, Amy. |
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Conchita
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Tamara
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| Fri Jul 28, 2006 22:23 pm Use of the word since |
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| Quote: | | Putting the word "Ever" in front of "since", makes it more likely that you will need the present perfect continuous in the second half of the sentence. |
Hi Tamara 
Some verbs aren't used very often in any continuous tense and "be (able to)" is one of them. That's one of the reasons why I wrote "more likely" and not "always". Sometimes the present perfect simple is better / necessary.
For example, you would never say "He has been being rich ever since he won the lottery."  Instead you would say "He has been rich ever since he won the lottery."
Taking Baraa's car sentence as an example, that sentence is better with present perfect simple in the second half --- no matter whether you begin the sentence with "since" or "ever since" --- because "be able to" is something that you normally would not use in any continuous tense:
Ever since he bought a car, he hasn't been able to visit us.
If you want to use be as a continuous tense ("is being", "has been being", etc.), you should have an especially good reason for doing it. Did you have something specific in mind? 
Amy
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| Fri Jul 28, 2006 22:44 pm Use of the word since |
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Amy, Conchita and Tamara: Thank you very much for all these explanations. I really appreciate it and it was so useful.
What I meant by my second sentence; Ever since he bought a car, he hasn't been able to see us; is that I implied he became proud because he has got a car therefore he broke up with us and didn't like to visit or see us any more because we are not from his level of richness.
Best Regards
Baraa
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bara
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Tamara
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| Fri Jul 28, 2006 23:27 pm Has been being |
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| Tamara wrote: | 'Ever since I've met the guru, I have been being in an enlightened mind.'
Right? 
 I would say "Ever since I met the guru, I have been in an enlightened mind." Or I might say "Ever since I met the guru, I have been being enlightened on a regular basis."
P.S.
| Quote: | | If you want to use be as a continuous tense ("is being", "has been being", etc.)... |
Just in case (to distinguish Active-Passive) – could you say, which one from the next two examples for Passive form
‘The country has been being bombed since last week.’
‘The country is being bombed now.’ ("since last week" is better used with present perfect)
sounds better? (without taking into account it’s content  ) |
Hi Tamara
Yes, I'd say you'd probably find be in a continuous form most often in passive sentences.
Amy
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Yankee
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Tamara
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| Sat Jul 29, 2006 14:38 pm Ummmm... |
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By the way, on the other side of the pond you will not hear "ermm" or even "emm" but rather "um".
Amy
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Yankee
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Fan of Arabian horses
I'm here quite often ;-)
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| How can I help you? vs. What can I do for you? | Phrasal verb "back off" |
