Luis國際資訊事務所

20.

現在完成式的疑難：

1.

敘述過去的動作為何不用過去式而要用現在完成式呢?

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7.

表示 "到某地去" 的 have gone 和 have been 有何不同？

8.

have gone 與 be gone 有何不同 ?

9.

have come 和 have been 的含義是否相同?

10.

have got 和 have gotten 有何不同？

11.

為什麼 "I have seen his grandfather, who died of hunger." 這個句子裡的 have seen 有問題?

12.

為什麼 "He has died for three years." 這個句子是不正確的 ?

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續 上 期

13.

"for＋若干時間" 所修飾的動詞可否用過去式？

for 之後的一段時間的終點若是現在，換言之，如果某一動作或狀態自過去開始一直繼續到現在，才用現在完成式，如果for之後的一段時間之終點不是現在而是過去，換言之，某一動作或狀態只在過去繼續了一段時間就結束了，並未繼續到現在，該動詞即不可用現在完成式，應該用過去式。如：

(1)

a.

I have lived here for three years.  (I still live here.)
(我在這裡已經住了三年。—— 現在仍住這裡。)
(= I have lived here since three years ago.)

b.

I lived here for three years.  (I don't live here now.)
(我在這裡住過三年。—— 現在不住在這裡。)

假定某人已經死了，不在人世間了：

不可說：He has lived here all his life.

只可說：He lived here all his life.

(他終生住在這裡。)

如果他剛剛斷氣，屍體仍停在床上還是該用完成式。

(2)

a.

He has been ill for a week.  (He is still ill.)
(他已病了一個星期。—— 現在還在病著。)

b.

He was ill for a week.  (He is not ill now.)
(他病了一個星期。—— 現在病好了。)

(3)

a.

How long have you been in Taipei?
(You are still in Taipei.)

(你在台北待多久了? —— 現在仍在台北。)

b.

How long were you in Taipei?  (You are not in Taipei now.)
(你在台北待了多久? —— 現在不在台北了。)

(4)

a.

I have smoked since I left school.  (I still smoke.)
(我離開學校就開始吸煙。—— 直到現在。)

b.

I have smoked for two years.  (I still smoke.)
(我吸煙的時間已有兩年。)

c.

I smoked for two years.  (And then I stopped smoking. I don't smoke now.)

(我吸過兩年煙。——後來戒掉了， 現在不吸了。)

14.

since 子句裡可否用現在完成式？

一般來說，since 子句裡應該用過去式，用現在完成式是洋人常常犯的錯誤，不可仿效。不過，since 子句裡的動詞若是 be，使用現在完成式的 have been 倒不算錯，因為它等於過去式的 came。再者，在 "It is＋若干時間" 之後的 since 子句裡可以用現在完成式 (但最常用的是過去式)。如：

(1)

I have had many acquaintances since I have been here.

or: I have had many acquaintances since I came here.

(自從我到這裡以來已經認識了許多人。)

(2)

a.

It is three years since I have seen Mary.
(= I haven't seen Mary for three years.)
(自從我見到瑪麗到現在已經三年了。)

b.

It is three years since I last saw Mary.  (= I saw Mary three years ago.)
(自從我上次見到瑪麗到現在已經三年了。)

這兩句所表達的含義並無區別，只是重點不同 (如括弧裡所言)。

(註)

(a)

也有用 It has been＋若干時間＋ since...的。如：

It's been a long time since I left school.
(自我離開學校至今已經很久了。)

不過，這是美語，英語中難得一見。

(b)

這種結構的 since 子句裡的動詞不可用否定。如：

不可說：It's a long time since you didn't come to see me.

應該說：You haven't come to see me for a long time.

(你很久沒來看我了。)

15.

"He has lived in Taipei more than three years since he returned from abroad." 錯在哪裡？

子句裡任何部分的修飾語都屬於該子句的一部分，因此不可脫離子句而跑到外面去，此乃重要的基本原則。在上面這個句子中， 時間詞語 more than three years 視為修飾 since 子句裡的動詞 returned才 合於 "英語" 的習慣，不該視為修飾主要子句裡的動詞 has lived，因此，more than three years 應改成 more than three years ago 放在 since 子句裡。根據上述，可立禁規如後：since 子句 (或片語) 之前不可有修飾動詞的時間副詞。因此：

(1)

不可說：He has lived in Taipei more than three years since he returned from abroad.

應該說：He has lived in Taipei since he returned from abroad more than three years ago.

(他自從三年前回國以來一直住在台北。)

(2)

不可說：I haven't seen him for several years since he left home.

應該說：I haven't seen him since he left home several years ago.

(幾年前他離開家以來我一直沒見到過他。)

或    問：為什麼 " It is three years since I last saw Mary " 又是正確的呢? 豈不矛盾！答案是：這個句子裡的 three years 不是修飾動詞的，而是接在 be 動詞之後做主詞補語。句子的結構不同不可同日而語。