Franck87
Member
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2017
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- Turkish
- Home Country
- Turkey
- Current Location
- Belgium
Dear All, I'm trying to understand how flexible can present perfect tense be used within some specific contexts.
For example during a daily talk when we want to describe what we mean to do, we say " I just wanted to..."
I guess in such cases "just" possess a polite meaning, sort of synonym for "only".
However "what we mean to do" most of the time happens in very recent past.
Therefore why don't we ever use "I have just wanted to ..."?
Allow me to clarify as below:
1)Just (only)
I just wanted to help you.----> This is very common usage.
I have just wanted to help you. ----> Have you ever heard/used in this way? Is it utterly wrong?
2) Just (time adverb) in recent past actions
I just wanted to help you. ---> This is very common usage.
I have just wanted to help you. ---> This must be common I think especially in British English ?
3) Without "just "as time adverb in recent past actions (only skipping "just" from No.2 above)
I wanted to help you.---> This is very common usage
I have wanted to help you ---> Does this sound natural when we wanted to help let's say 5 minutes ago. Have you ever heard/used in this way?
Your responses will be appreciated. Thanks!
For example during a daily talk when we want to describe what we mean to do, we say " I just wanted to..."
I guess in such cases "just" possess a polite meaning, sort of synonym for "only".
However "what we mean to do" most of the time happens in very recent past.
Therefore why don't we ever use "I have just wanted to ..."?
Allow me to clarify as below:
1)Just (only)
I just wanted to help you.----> This is very common usage.
I have just wanted to help you. ----> Have you ever heard/used in this way? Is it utterly wrong?
2) Just (time adverb) in recent past actions
I just wanted to help you. ---> This is very common usage.
I have just wanted to help you. ---> This must be common I think especially in British English ?
3) Without "just "as time adverb in recent past actions (only skipping "just" from No.2 above)
I wanted to help you.---> This is very common usage
I have wanted to help you ---> Does this sound natural when we wanted to help let's say 5 minutes ago. Have you ever heard/used in this way?
Your responses will be appreciated. Thanks!