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ESL forum >
Ask for help > Simple past or Present perfect
Simple past or Present perfect
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quickfind2468
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Simple past or Present perfect
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Find out the answer
"I �m late. My car has broken or broke down on my way here. "
Is has borken or broke correct? |
14 Sep 2010
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cacucacu
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I think it �s better to say "My car broke down" because with the perfect perfect it gives you the idea that it is still breaking down in the present. |
14 Sep 2010
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Apodo
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I agree with cacucau
I �m late because my car broke down on the way here.
But if you call on your mobile telephone while you are on the way:
I �ll be late because my car has broken down.
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14 Sep 2010
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hdefined
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In the original sentence, "on my way here" is a specific time in the past that has finished. Therefore, the perfect tense ("has broken") isn �t appropriate, and the simple past ("broke") is best.
But without that time marker, the perfect tense is fine. |
14 Sep 2010
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sperras
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This is an example of an ergative verb. It is a little known grammar point in English. It is also known as "The middle voice". We use the verb with an Active voice structure but within the sentence it is used like it would be in the passive voice.
For example:
Active: The boy broke the window.
passive: The window was broken by the boy.
Middle voice (ergative verbs): The window broke.
Look it up on the Net. There are about 10 to 20 ergative verbs used regulary in English, like "The car wouldn �t start." |
14 Sep 2010
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hdefined
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But you would never use "break down" transitively in this context. You can �t "break down a car."
You can break down a substance, and that substance can also break down, though. |
14 Sep 2010
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lshorton99
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I also wouldn �t agree that the ergative is little known in English - only that we don �t teach it to our students (except maybe at proficiency level) because they don �t need to know the name of what they use to be able to use it correctly. Anyone studying even the most basic of linguistics would have encountered to the ergative! Anyone who hasn �t encountered it shouldn �t worry - it �s not necessary for fluent English - you �ve used it without knowing its name and that �s fine.
Which brings me to my next point - I also don �t think it �s relevant to the question which was asking about tense and aspect. A debate as to whether or not it �s an ergative has absolutely nothing to do with the question - which was answered very clearly by cacucacu, Apodo and hdefined. I can �t see how bringing a completely separate issue up is going to help in any way.
Lindsey
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14 Sep 2010
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