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UPDATE:
It helps if you look at which time phrases you can use with each form (left side of the chart). For example:
The race started at 10am. [the simple past]If it is now 12pm, you can't say:
The race has started now. [has is present tense, so it is about the past of the present (i.e., a time before now)]
The race had started at 11am. [had is past tense, so it is about the past of the past (i.e., a time before 11am)]
WRONG: The race has started at 10am. [has is present tense, but 10am is in the past, so it doesn't make sense]If you want to attach a time phrase to start instead of have, use the simple past form.
I hope this is becoming a book, Huck. If so, you will have been writing a book. I have never written a book. Did you ever write a book? Will you be writing a book? I read a book. Had I never read a book, perhaps I would not be so interested in the writing of books.
ReplyDelete:)
ReplyDeleteI can't see it becoming a book yet. It's quite a departure from what I'd normally write about. So far I'm just enjoying myself with it, but I have a pretty long list of topics in the queue that could provide enough material I suppose.