Preamble:
In 1965, I and my family settled in Quebec, Canada. By 1970, I had
developed an interest in applied linguistics having taken up a position
teaching English and linguistics at Laval University in Quebec City. It
was then that I began to collect data illustrating the difference between
North American (NA) and British usage of the simple past (SP - I caught) and
the present perfect (PP - I have caught) with NA usage tending in certain
contexts and situations to use the SP where the British used the PP. Most
striking to me at the time were examples such as ‘Did you see it yet?’ and
‘She did it already.’
Such examples were important to me at the time as I was teaching English to
francophones who had difficulty with the PP.. Though I initially corrected
uses of the SP where the PP is ‘prescribed’, I quickly began to accept both
in certain contexts and situations.
I subsequently published the following article:
Sheen, R. (1984) "Current usage of the simple past and the present perfect
and its relevance for EF/SL." Canadian Modern Language Review 40/3,
374-385. ***
Therein I suggested that NA usage was developing in such a way that if the
linguistic context illustrated current relevance as with ‘yet’ and ‘so far’
the SP may be used instead of the PP as in
I didn’t see her yet. and He visited ten countries so far.
I also suggested that if the non-linguistic situation illustrated current
relevance, the SP may be used as in
‘Sir, I finished.’
I returned to the UK in the 80s and began to notice that British usage was
beginning to be seemingly influenced by NA usage. Thus after collecting
illustrative data I published the following article in Japan where I was
teaching at the time.
Sheen, R. (1992) "Variation between the simple past and the present perfect
and its pedagogical implications" (Including new British data) JALT Journal,
14/2, 127-142. ***
Since then, I have done no further research on the subject until I raised
the issue on this List. I did so largely because it was the first time I
have been a member of a list in which the members are mainly teachers of
English as a first language.
Summary of responses:
The main purpose of posing my query to members was to discover whether any
members would actually correct occurrences of the SP where the PP is
prescribed in standard usage. In fact, nobody among the ten respondents
said that they would actually do so though most mentioned the fact that they
would expect the PP to be used rather than the SP.
What would be interesting (to me at least) would be if members were to
engage in some introspection on their own usage of the SP and PP and provide
a summary thereof. Further, if you made a point in your response that I
have failed to mention here, please raise the issue in a response to this.
Herb was the only member to reveal that he had done a great deal of work on
the subject and provided a highly sophisticated analysis of data going back
3000 years in order to support the hypothesis that the neutralization of the
difference between the two forms derives from the initial gradual reduction
of ‘have’ to zero and subsequent analogical change.
However, I’ll say no more here for fear of misrepresenting Herb’s position
on the issue. Perhaps, he could provide a succinct summary of his
hypothesis.
Finally, my thanks to all those who provided responses to my query.
***(Unfortunately, I do not have copies of the articles on line. I have
spent the last few days trying to find hard copies of them in the chaos I
call an office. Should I find them, I will happily make them available to
anyone who would like copies.)
Ron Sheen.
1. No soccer team ever drew crowds like these.
2. I swear I was not in the Eureka Hotel more than three times in my life.
3. I lectured on the subject a number of times in the past ten years.
4. Did you ever read Blake?
5. Gatting already indicated that he would not be available.
6. I never acted a part in my life.
7. I was married twice.
8. Peter, you lost weight. (Said by someone to Peter after a short
separation).
9. Your father couldn’t make it. He went to the border.
10. Within the past hour, all the prisoners gave themselves up. (A
breaking-news announcement on TV)
11. In the past few years, Iran captured many soldiers.
12. The air-traffic control chaos of the last month has led to a 28%
increase.
13. I played Australia five times in the last few years.
14. We built several new prisons already.
15. Hitler changed the rules; the phony war is over.
16. Did you have breakfast. (said in a restaurant at 9 am)
17. We beat them twice so far.
18. I thank you kindly, Mister, but I had enough.
19. It started a campaign in the diet industry we never saw before.
20. I always knew you were a good speaker.
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