|
|
 #17 (permalink) Thu Oct 09, 2008 6:06 am About the meaning of "ever" |
|
|
If two women were fighting over a guy (or woman, whatever floats your boat in this anecdote), these two rivals might bare their teeth in the following fashion:
Woman A: He's called me daily.
Woman B: Oh yeah?! Well he CALLS me daily, which means you can bet your @ss he'll continue to do so.
Again, it is a verrrry subtle difference. Woman B sounds just a bit more sure that the calls will continue.
_________________
Billie Jean is not my lover. Hee. |
|
Prezbucky
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 2528
Location: Nashville, TN (USA)
|
|
| #18 (permalink) Thu Oct 09, 2008 6:11 am About the meaning of "ever" |
|
|
Molly, it's the same thing: "he calls me daily" emits a greater feeling that those calls will continue. "He's called me daily" isn't wrong... it's just very slightly different.
If it's any consolation, both phrases would likely make the listener think that the callee expects the calls to continue.
_________________
Billie Jean is not my lover. Hee. |
|
Prezbucky
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 2528
Location: Nashville, TN (USA)
|
 |
| #19 (permalink) Thu Oct 09, 2008 6:38 am About the meaning of "ever" |
|
|
| Quote: |
| Again, it is a verrrry subtle difference. Woman B sounds just a bit more sure that the calls will continue. |
Clutching at straws there, I'd say Prez. 
How about:
Because of the accident, he calls me daily.
Because of the accident, he's called me daily.
Both resultative uses. The speaker wants to express "as a result, he calls/has called daily".
| Quote: |
| Molly, it's the same thing: "he calls me daily" emits a greater feeling that those calls will continue. |
That's because the present perfect is an "up to Now" tense/aspect. |
|
Molly
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008
Posts: 4017
|
|
| #20 (permalink) Thu Oct 09, 2008 10:31 am About the meaning of "ever" |
|
|
No, I rather want talk about "ever" here than starting new thread for verb form.
I think Amy is right, present perfect reffers only past relating to NOW,
so it should be read "Since the accident, he has started calling me daily."
In this case, we will know the calling continues.
But "He has called me daily." does not indicat any future activity.
I've learned that simple present/present perfect continuous imply more possibility for future activities
than present perfect here. |
|
Hime
I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 01 Oct 2008
Posts: 19
|
|
| #21 (permalink) Thu Oct 09, 2008 10:52 am About the meaning of "ever" |
|
|
Does he ever calls you?
Imagine a situation where a friend gives you good advice. The person, you two are talking about, might have called you and you might have expressed surprise at it and for that your friend may caution you saying that the person who never bothered about calling you so far has called you and so there is some ulterior motive or some thing which he could get done only through you and so be wary of him. |
|
Nanucbe
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 28 Mar 2008
Posts: 132
Location: USA
|
|
| #22 (permalink) Thu Oct 09, 2008 11:23 am About the meaning of "ever" |
|
|
| Quote: |
| I think Amy is right, present perfect reffers only past relating to NOW, |
This is what Amy said:
| Quote: |
| Both the present perfect and the present perfect continuous refer only to past time. |
She doesn't talk about relating to Now.
To sum up:
Have you ever been to Africa?
"Ever" is used there to mean "at any time". The time of "ever" there is unbounded. When used with the present perfect, a boundary, of "before now", is "imposed" on the unboundedness of "ever".
| Quote: |
| No, I rather want talk about "ever" here than starting new thread for verb form. |
OK. Important: Did you read the linked page I posted? Here it is again:
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/results.asp?dict=B&searchword=ever |
|
Molly
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008
Posts: 4017
|
|
| #23 (permalink) Thu Oct 09, 2008 12:32 pm About the meaning of "ever" |
|
|
Yes, I did read the link page, but it only confused me more.
Actually, I want to talk about "ever" in different tense, especially in present tense.
Because as you said, if "ever" means "at any time", we need a certain pedriod of time, not just a
one morment in past nor now. I know many native English speakers use past tense for present perfect.
So it is OK to me that "ever" is used in past tense. But not OK in present tense.
"Ever" goes very well with present/past perfect as it reffes certain point in past upto now.
Also, another reason I am being confused is that, "at any time" could mean "always" but also "any morment, even once"
Two of them are totally different in their meanings. |
|
Hime
I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 01 Oct 2008
Posts: 19
|
|
| #24 (permalink) Thu Oct 09, 2008 12:37 pm About the meaning of "ever" |
|
|
| Quote: |
| Actually, I want to talk about "ever" in different tense, especially in present tense. |
So your interest in finding a core meaning has waned, has it?
| Quote: |
Also, another reason I am being confused is that, "at any time" could mean "always" but also "any morment, even once"
Two of them are totally different in their meanings. |
And what are your questions? Can you form questions that express your doubts? |
|
Molly
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008
Posts: 4017
|
|
| #25 (permalink) Thu Oct 09, 2008 12:43 pm About the meaning of "ever" |
|
|
| Quote: |
| "Ever" goes very well with present/past perfect as it reffes certain point in past upto now. |
It goes well with many "tenses":
e.g.
Did you ever go fishing (AmEng.)
Have you ever gone fishing. (AmEng, apparently.)
Have you ever been fishing?
Are you ever going fishing?
Will you ever go fishing?
| Quote: |
| Also, another reason I am being confused is that, "at any time" could mean "always" |
When could it mean that? Can you give us some examples? |
|
Molly
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008
Posts: 4017
|
|
| #26 (permalink) Thu Oct 09, 2008 13:58 pm About the meaning of "ever" |
|
|
No, I am still interested in finding the core meaning of "ever" but
you said there was not one shared core meaning which can be applied for all sentences.
So I decided to think about "ever" in simple present.
Amy said that "Does he ever call you?" could mean "habit" and it implys his calling is "often or always"
but still "ever" in this sentence hold the meaning "at any time", which I can assume "at any time" could mean "always".
Am I right?
So my focus is that in the sentence "Does he ever call you?", the speaker wants to know
the frequency of his calling or if he called her even once or not at all?
Which fact does the speaker want to know?? |
|
Hime
I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 01 Oct 2008
Posts: 19
|
|
| #27 (permalink) Thu Oct 09, 2008 14:57 pm About the meaning of "ever" |
|
|
| Quote: |
So my focus is that in the sentence "Does he ever call you?", the speaker wants to know
the frequency of his calling or if he called her even once or not at all?
Which fact does the speaker want to know?? |
You'd have to ask the speaker, or Amy. One note, we should remember that uses of the basic form of the verb - one of which is the present simple - all have one thing in common, i.e. that questions of restriction are not appropriate, i.e. questions such as When? On what occasion? or, Under what circumstances?
What do you think of these?
? Does he ever call you? Even once?
Has he ever called you? Even once?
? He doesn't ever call me. Not even once.
He hasn't ever called me. Not even once. |
|
Molly
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008
Posts: 4017
|
|
|
| difference between I stayed not long and I didn't stay long | Win vs. beat vs. defeat |
