LINGUIST List 9.1287

Wed Sep 16 1998

Sum: Summary "Current Relevance"

Editor for this issue: Scott Fults <scottlinguistlist.org>

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1. Yoshioka Junko, SUM. "query" Any volunteers? "Current Relevance"

In the end of June I raised a question about "Current Relevance". I asked you to tell me 
which expression is more suitable in each of the following examples.

Tom is a world famous singer. However, he has been in hospital for five years, and is now 
over 70 years old. There is no possibility that he will have his concert in the future.
Q1: (Have you ever been, Did you ever go) to a Tom concert?
Q2: (Have you ever met, Did you ever meet) Tom?

Q3: Newton (has explained, explained) the movements of the moon.
Q4: A: Have you ever been to Japan?
 B: Yes, I (have been there, went there) in 1960.

Soon after that I got 28 e-mails. Thank you for answering my question. I would express my 
sincere thanks to the followiong people who supplied useful data: 
Karen Davis, Peter T. Daniels, Dave Braze, Michael Moss, Aimee Johansen, Hersey Scott, J.L. 
Morris, Kenneth Koosmann, Eric, Linda Merlo, Gerald B Mathias, Karen Ward, Earl Herrick, 
Eleanor Batchelder, A.F. Gupta, Deborah Milam Berkley, Tim Beasley, John Mackin, John 
Atkinson, Anne Marie Augustus, Larry Trask, Nancy Frishberg, William Morris, Nick Quaintmere, 
Erdogan Erturkoglu, Ma. Teresa Macias Rabago, Marc & Brigitta.

The result of this inquiry is as follows: 

 the Present Perfect the Simple Past Both 

 Q1 7 15 6
 Q2 12 10 6
 Q3 0 22 6 
 Q4 0 27 1