Guys, I must ask the question finally: one of (many) things that keep me bound to this forum is that I can talk to native English speakers. I have hardly any opportunities to speak English: twice a year a group from Israel in my office; a business trip to Sweden/Denmark every 2 years; twice I managed to go to London.
Could you spend any time to teach us (non-native speakers) live English? I mean answering simple questions, e.g.:
Nah, just saw it posted at /r/unixporn
I was taught that just usually goes together with have, like I've just seen.
Not exactly; it’s more of a subtle difference as to when the action occurred. Both those statements are grammatically accurate in that you have read a particular book.
Simple past usually means you have recently completed some action.
Q: Did you do the homework?
A: I read the book.
So you read the book as part of the current assignment.
Most native English speakers don’t really know the rules and make it up as they go along. This confounds the rule-makers because they have to keep changing the “rules” to reflect modern usage.
Use to be that way here in the US as well. Schools started dropping it in the late 1970’s early 1980’s.
Most schools only teach past, present, future tense for verb conjugation.
In many ways, that is the root of many issues non-native English speakers have in an English language forum. You have been taught proper English, but then have to reconcile it with colloquial English. As an average American, I can say with confidence we don’t typically speak or write the way you’re being taught.
I know. This was the main reason why I opened this thread. If it comes to rules: one does not need them to learn their native language. I know English grammar much better than the Polish one. No other way to learn a language at school.
