I never heard him laugh

[keannu]

My grammar book says this can be seen as a replacement for the present perfect "I have never heard him laugh". Is it true?

45)I never heard him laugh

 

[emsr2d2]

My grammar book says this can be seen as a replacement for the present perfect "I have never heard him laugh". Is it true?

45)I never heard him laugh

I wouldn't say it's a replacement, no. The two refer to different time periods. "I have never heard him laugh" means "Up to and including right now, there has not been one instance where I have heard him laugh".

If you remove "have", then it stops referring to a time that ends right now. It would relate to a time period which has already finished. "In the ten years I worked with him, I never heard him laugh". You no longer work with him, the time period has ended. It is possible that since you stopped working together, you have heard him laugh many times.

If the time period was ongoing, you would say "In the ten years I have worked with him, I have never heard him laugh". You still work with him.

 

[Rover_KE]

Please tell us the title and author of your grammar book, keannu.

 

[keannu]

It's a regret that even if I tell you the name and author of the grammar book, you can't refer to it. It's a grammar book published in Korea for mainly high-schoolers, and all its explanations are in Korean, for which you will need my traslation.

 

[5jj]

Some non-native speaking grammarians have made very important contributions to the study of English.

However, many of the grammars by non-native speakers (and some by native speakers) published in East and South-East Asia that I have seen leave a lot to be desired. A few are simply appalling.

At your level of English, keannu, you are safest using a grammar written by an authoritative grammarian, or team of grammarians, published by a reputable publisher in the UK, the USA or Australia.

 

[keannu]

I'd like to do so, but students won't understand the grammar book in English easily. Anyway, I need such a book desperately. If someone can recommend such a book, I will even order from an online website. All I have regarding such material is 5j's grammar materials.

 

[emsr2d2]

All I have regarding such material is 5jj's grammar materials.

More than anyone could ever need, I'm sure! ;-)