Are present simple and present perfect interchangeable?(about habits)












5















I wonder if in this context pr. simple and pr. perfect simple are interchangeable:





  1. He has played the saxophone every night.

  2. He plays the saxophone every night.




If they aren't interchangeable, could you explain me, what's the difference between the information they give us?










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    5















    I wonder if in this context pr. simple and pr. perfect simple are interchangeable:





    1. He has played the saxophone every night.

    2. He plays the saxophone every night.




    If they aren't interchangeable, could you explain me, what's the difference between the information they give us?










    share|improve this question



























      5












      5








      5


      0






      I wonder if in this context pr. simple and pr. perfect simple are interchangeable:





      1. He has played the saxophone every night.

      2. He plays the saxophone every night.




      If they aren't interchangeable, could you explain me, what's the difference between the information they give us?










      share|improve this question
















      I wonder if in this context pr. simple and pr. perfect simple are interchangeable:





      1. He has played the saxophone every night.

      2. He plays the saxophone every night.




      If they aren't interchangeable, could you explain me, what's the difference between the information they give us?







      present-perfect present-simple






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      edited 10 hours ago









      userr2684291

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      asked 11 hours ago









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          3 Answers
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          10














          As with most choices of tense in English, the difference is mainly how the speaker is choosing to focus the statement temporally. There may also be implications of one but not the other.




          He plays the saxophone every night.




          does not focus the statement in time: it is talking about something that has happened in the past, and the present, and may be expected to continue into the future; but it does not set a focus.




          He has played the saxophone every night.




          is talking about a period from the past up to the present, and setting the focus to the present. It does not exclude the possibility that the behaviour might continue into the future, but it does not discuss it, because the temporal focus is looking backward from the present.






          share|improve this answer





















          • 3





            Re "has played" I would go a bit further. Because you deliberately stop the action (playing the sax) in the present, there is at least a mild implication that the future of the activity is in question.

            – G. Ann - SonarSource Team
            5 hours ago



















          2














          If you say: "he plays the saxophone every night" it means this is a regular habit, it is a normal part of his life.



          "He has played the saxophone every night", means for a period of time from the past to the present.



          If "playing the saxophone every night" is a new or temporary habit, you can say: "he has been playing the saxophone every night lately". Meaning it is not a regular habit.






          share|improve this answer































            1














            I think these two tenses are not interchangeable at all in any context.




            He plays the saxophone every night.




            This is something that he does habitually every night. Every night, he takes his saxophone and plays it.




            He has played the saxophone every night.




            With this sentence, I'm thinking that he started playing the saxophone at some point in the past (let's say when he was a kid) and has been doing that ever since every night up to the present. We can even add that additional time information into the sentence.




            He has played the saxophone every night since his childhood.




            In most cases, with sentences like this one, it would be only natural to almost always add some additional time information into the sentence to qualify since what time the action we're speaking about has been happening.






            share|improve this answer

























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              3 Answers
              3






              active

              oldest

              votes








              3 Answers
              3






              active

              oldest

              votes









              active

              oldest

              votes






              active

              oldest

              votes









              10














              As with most choices of tense in English, the difference is mainly how the speaker is choosing to focus the statement temporally. There may also be implications of one but not the other.




              He plays the saxophone every night.




              does not focus the statement in time: it is talking about something that has happened in the past, and the present, and may be expected to continue into the future; but it does not set a focus.




              He has played the saxophone every night.




              is talking about a period from the past up to the present, and setting the focus to the present. It does not exclude the possibility that the behaviour might continue into the future, but it does not discuss it, because the temporal focus is looking backward from the present.






              share|improve this answer





















              • 3





                Re "has played" I would go a bit further. Because you deliberately stop the action (playing the sax) in the present, there is at least a mild implication that the future of the activity is in question.

                – G. Ann - SonarSource Team
                5 hours ago
















              10














              As with most choices of tense in English, the difference is mainly how the speaker is choosing to focus the statement temporally. There may also be implications of one but not the other.




              He plays the saxophone every night.




              does not focus the statement in time: it is talking about something that has happened in the past, and the present, and may be expected to continue into the future; but it does not set a focus.




              He has played the saxophone every night.




              is talking about a period from the past up to the present, and setting the focus to the present. It does not exclude the possibility that the behaviour might continue into the future, but it does not discuss it, because the temporal focus is looking backward from the present.






              share|improve this answer





















              • 3





                Re "has played" I would go a bit further. Because you deliberately stop the action (playing the sax) in the present, there is at least a mild implication that the future of the activity is in question.

                – G. Ann - SonarSource Team
                5 hours ago














              10












              10








              10







              As with most choices of tense in English, the difference is mainly how the speaker is choosing to focus the statement temporally. There may also be implications of one but not the other.




              He plays the saxophone every night.




              does not focus the statement in time: it is talking about something that has happened in the past, and the present, and may be expected to continue into the future; but it does not set a focus.




              He has played the saxophone every night.




              is talking about a period from the past up to the present, and setting the focus to the present. It does not exclude the possibility that the behaviour might continue into the future, but it does not discuss it, because the temporal focus is looking backward from the present.






              share|improve this answer















              As with most choices of tense in English, the difference is mainly how the speaker is choosing to focus the statement temporally. There may also be implications of one but not the other.




              He plays the saxophone every night.




              does not focus the statement in time: it is talking about something that has happened in the past, and the present, and may be expected to continue into the future; but it does not set a focus.




              He has played the saxophone every night.




              is talking about a period from the past up to the present, and setting the focus to the present. It does not exclude the possibility that the behaviour might continue into the future, but it does not discuss it, because the temporal focus is looking backward from the present.







              share|improve this answer














              share|improve this answer



              share|improve this answer








              edited 8 hours ago









              userr2684291

              2,59221531




              2,59221531










              answered 9 hours ago









              Colin FineColin Fine

              29.9k24158




              29.9k24158








              • 3





                Re "has played" I would go a bit further. Because you deliberately stop the action (playing the sax) in the present, there is at least a mild implication that the future of the activity is in question.

                – G. Ann - SonarSource Team
                5 hours ago














              • 3





                Re "has played" I would go a bit further. Because you deliberately stop the action (playing the sax) in the present, there is at least a mild implication that the future of the activity is in question.

                – G. Ann - SonarSource Team
                5 hours ago








              3




              3





              Re "has played" I would go a bit further. Because you deliberately stop the action (playing the sax) in the present, there is at least a mild implication that the future of the activity is in question.

              – G. Ann - SonarSource Team
              5 hours ago





              Re "has played" I would go a bit further. Because you deliberately stop the action (playing the sax) in the present, there is at least a mild implication that the future of the activity is in question.

              – G. Ann - SonarSource Team
              5 hours ago













              2














              If you say: "he plays the saxophone every night" it means this is a regular habit, it is a normal part of his life.



              "He has played the saxophone every night", means for a period of time from the past to the present.



              If "playing the saxophone every night" is a new or temporary habit, you can say: "he has been playing the saxophone every night lately". Meaning it is not a regular habit.






              share|improve this answer




























                2














                If you say: "he plays the saxophone every night" it means this is a regular habit, it is a normal part of his life.



                "He has played the saxophone every night", means for a period of time from the past to the present.



                If "playing the saxophone every night" is a new or temporary habit, you can say: "he has been playing the saxophone every night lately". Meaning it is not a regular habit.






                share|improve this answer


























                  2












                  2








                  2







                  If you say: "he plays the saxophone every night" it means this is a regular habit, it is a normal part of his life.



                  "He has played the saxophone every night", means for a period of time from the past to the present.



                  If "playing the saxophone every night" is a new or temporary habit, you can say: "he has been playing the saxophone every night lately". Meaning it is not a regular habit.






                  share|improve this answer













                  If you say: "he plays the saxophone every night" it means this is a regular habit, it is a normal part of his life.



                  "He has played the saxophone every night", means for a period of time from the past to the present.



                  If "playing the saxophone every night" is a new or temporary habit, you can say: "he has been playing the saxophone every night lately". Meaning it is not a regular habit.







                  share|improve this answer












                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer










                  answered 7 hours ago









                  anoukanouk

                  1,456413




                  1,456413























                      1














                      I think these two tenses are not interchangeable at all in any context.




                      He plays the saxophone every night.




                      This is something that he does habitually every night. Every night, he takes his saxophone and plays it.




                      He has played the saxophone every night.




                      With this sentence, I'm thinking that he started playing the saxophone at some point in the past (let's say when he was a kid) and has been doing that ever since every night up to the present. We can even add that additional time information into the sentence.




                      He has played the saxophone every night since his childhood.




                      In most cases, with sentences like this one, it would be only natural to almost always add some additional time information into the sentence to qualify since what time the action we're speaking about has been happening.






                      share|improve this answer






























                        1














                        I think these two tenses are not interchangeable at all in any context.




                        He plays the saxophone every night.




                        This is something that he does habitually every night. Every night, he takes his saxophone and plays it.




                        He has played the saxophone every night.




                        With this sentence, I'm thinking that he started playing the saxophone at some point in the past (let's say when he was a kid) and has been doing that ever since every night up to the present. We can even add that additional time information into the sentence.




                        He has played the saxophone every night since his childhood.




                        In most cases, with sentences like this one, it would be only natural to almost always add some additional time information into the sentence to qualify since what time the action we're speaking about has been happening.






                        share|improve this answer




























                          1












                          1








                          1







                          I think these two tenses are not interchangeable at all in any context.




                          He plays the saxophone every night.




                          This is something that he does habitually every night. Every night, he takes his saxophone and plays it.




                          He has played the saxophone every night.




                          With this sentence, I'm thinking that he started playing the saxophone at some point in the past (let's say when he was a kid) and has been doing that ever since every night up to the present. We can even add that additional time information into the sentence.




                          He has played the saxophone every night since his childhood.




                          In most cases, with sentences like this one, it would be only natural to almost always add some additional time information into the sentence to qualify since what time the action we're speaking about has been happening.






                          share|improve this answer















                          I think these two tenses are not interchangeable at all in any context.




                          He plays the saxophone every night.




                          This is something that he does habitually every night. Every night, he takes his saxophone and plays it.




                          He has played the saxophone every night.




                          With this sentence, I'm thinking that he started playing the saxophone at some point in the past (let's say when he was a kid) and has been doing that ever since every night up to the present. We can even add that additional time information into the sentence.




                          He has played the saxophone every night since his childhood.




                          In most cases, with sentences like this one, it would be only natural to almost always add some additional time information into the sentence to qualify since what time the action we're speaking about has been happening.







                          share|improve this answer














                          share|improve this answer



                          share|improve this answer








                          edited 4 hours ago

























                          answered 6 hours ago









                          Michael RybkinMichael Rybkin

                          27.1k11106234




                          27.1k11106234






























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