Present perfect / Since

Present perfect / Since
Message from carlabice47 posted on 04-01-2014 at 19:04:27 (D | E | F)
Hello,

I was taught that after SINCE there should be a simple past tense:
I've met lot of people since I came to live here.
However, sometimes, I've found the present perfect in sentences like:
Since I've been young I've learned how to behave -
Does it mean the speaker is still young or what?

Thank you for your help.
carlabice47

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Edited by lucile83 on 04-01-2014 21:11

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Re: Present perfect / Since from mixu, posted on 05-01-2014 at 03:10:35 (D | E)
Hi

"Since" can be used as a conjunction of time besides its another meaning as "because" or "as". As I know like you, the tense in "since clause" is maybe perfect or past, depending on the meaning.
EX: I have known him since he was a child.
I visit my parents everyweek since I have had the car.
I have eaten 3 cakes since I have been sitting here.
In your sentence that is "Since I've been young I've learned how to behave", I interpret it as the uninterrupted action which developped in the past and has still continued to the moment of speaking.
It means that the writer is still young, and he still wants to learn how to behave.

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Edited by lucile83 on 05-01-2014 08:17
Please write I, not i ...thank you.

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Re: Present perfect / Since from traviskidd, posted on 05-01-2014 at 03:40:16 (D | E)
Hello.

Normally the present perfect can't be used after "since" (unless "since" means "because", but that's not the case here). In fact I would say that "Since I've been young" is wrong. (I would say "Since I was young....")
However, there is a special case where "since" + present perfect can be used as a mixture of "since" + past tense and "while" + present perfect, where the present perfect is used in place of the present perfect continuous because the verb is incompatible with the continuous aspect.
A few examples:
"Since I've been here" (mixture of "Since I came here" and "While I've been here")
"Since you've been gone" (mixture of "Since you left" and "While you've been gone")
"Since he's known her" (mixture of "Since he met her" and "While he's known her")
It is usually associated with a main clause in the present perfect tense:
"Since I've been here, I've forgotten all my problems."
"Ever since he's known her, she's always been happy-go-lucky." ("Ever" suggests that his knowing her might not be the reason she is happy-go-lucky.)
But not always:
"Since you've been gone, I can breathe for the first time." (From a song by Kelly Clarkson)
See you.

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Edited by traviskidd on 05-01-2014 03:43
I suppose it is theoretically possible that "since" could mean "because" in your example. Supposing that everyone learns how to behave when they are young, then one could say "Since I've been young, I've learned how to behave." However this theoretical possibility seems highly unlikely in practice.

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Re: Present perfect / Since from lemagemasque, posted on 05-01-2014 at 14:19:55 (D | E)
Hello!

As it has been already said, "Since I've been young I've learned how to behave" doesn't make any sense at all!
If you do mean to say you are young and because you are young, you know how to behave, then you should say, "Since I'm young, I know how to behave".
If you mean "when I was young I learnt to behave and I still know it", then say, "Ever since I was young, I've learnt to behave".

See you!

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Edited by lemagemasque on 05-01-2014 14:24
However, "Ever since I was young, I've learnt to behave" still sounds weird to me.

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