He was studying / is studying this year ?

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hi, teachers and members.

The adverbials which can be used both with the present and with the past tenses in spite of the fact that they refer to the present moment. Today, this week, this year, this week are all examples:

He was studying today/ this week / this year.
He is studying today today/ this week / this year.

Is this article saying that the meanings of this couple of sentences are subtle ? It’s no significant differences ?

Thanks

2

He was studying today / this week / this year. This needs to be modified: He has studied since morning today/since Monday this week/since January this year.

He is studying today / this week / this year. This refers to future meaning: He will study today / this week / this year.

[color=green](In all these cases the speaker is still within the remaining time/period of today/this week/this year)

3

The use of the past continuous refers to a continuous activity in the past and the use of the present continuous refers to a continuous activity now. That I know is obvious but it’s a starting point. When we use the present forms we are referring to what is happening as we speak. In other words ‘today’ is now on Friday. ‘this week’ is the week of 3rd March to 7th March - now and ‘this year’ is 2014 -now. When we use those same expressions of time with the past continuous, we are still in today/this week/this year but we are referring to an earlier part of today/this week/this year. We are, as it were. looking back from now to the earlier part of those times.

Comments relative to March 7th 2014.

4

Hi Anglophile

Thanks for your help and suggestion.
However, It’s not the same meaning anymore if I shift the tense to perfect tense.

He was studying today/ this week / this year. [is this sentence grammatically ? based on the article I read, It said yes]
He is studying today today/ this week / this year.

If yes, this pair has the same meaning or not ? The article said vaguely about this point, So I need a confirmation :slight_smile: (any exceptional case, they don’t mean the same with the words “today / this week / this year.”)

5

Alan, please make a critical reference to my import of the situation as I have explained above. I’m afraid you have commented before being able to see my response.

6

What you have said is clearly valid but I don’t think it covers what Waiyin Cheng wanted. You have changed the tenses but his concern, I imagine. is the use of ‘contemporary’ time expressions with a past tense and that is what I have tried to explain.

7

Hello Cheng

Suppose it is 7 pm now (March 7, 2014). You have a brother and he has not been seen outside your house for some time. Your neighbour suspects his presence at home now and asks you about him, and the conversation is very likely to be this way:

Hi, where is your brother? I haven’t seen him today.
(Oh, he was studying all day today)

Hi, where is your brother? I haven’t seen him this week.
(Oh, he was travelling the whole week this week)

Hi, where is your brother? I haven’t seen him this year.
(Oh, he was stationed away for a long time this year)

As Alan has rightly said, it’s all relative to the actual time of speaking.

(Thank you, Alan. I agree that Cheng’s meaning is different. So I have thought of a hypothetical situation and explained it further here)

8

Thank you Alan and Anglophile.
Alan, you were right, your reply has covered the point I wanted to ask for clarification.