Since we moved here, I've been working in this company. (But when it's finished and has no connection to the present)

Marika33

Marika33

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Ukrainian
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Netherlands
  • Since we moved here, I've been working in this company.
How do I say about this same action but when it's finished and has no connection to the present? Is my option with the past simple fine or should it be in the past continuous?
  • Since we moved there, I worked in that company.
 
1) If there's no connection to the present, you can't use 'since', because 'since' means 'from a point in the past (we moved here) until now'. So you'll have to use a different time phrase. One option would be to use 'after', though that wouldn't clearly mean that working happened immediately after moving.

2) Change in to at.

3) As for the verb phrase, you're right that you need a past tense. Either past simple or past continuous may be chosen, depending on the aspect required.
 
jutfrank said:
2) Change in to at.

3) As for the verb phrase, you're right that you need a past tense. Either past simple or past continuous may be chosen, depending on the aspect required.
Click to expand...
Thanks a lot!

jutfrank said:
1) If there's no connection to the present, you can't use 'since', because 'since' means 'from a point in the past (we moved here) until now'. So you'll have to use a different time phrase. One option would be to use 'after', though that wouldn't clearly mean that working happened immediately after moving.
Click to expand...
:oops:
For the first time in my life, have I now heard I can't use "since" if there's no connection to the present. Doesn't the fact that the context makes it clear that the action has no connection to the present make it possible to use "since"?

And are you sure I should use "after" in the second sentence?
  • (It's 2023 now)
    I've been working in this company since we moved here in 2018 (until now).
  • (It's 2026 now)
    I worked in that company since after we moved there in 2018 (until 2024).
 
Last edited:
Marika33 said:
Doesn't the fact that the context makes it clear that the action has no connection to the present make it possible to use "since"?
Click to expand...

No, don't use 'since' with that past-to-past meaning. You might possibly see some good writers do it in some contexts (notably with past perfect), but I'd urge you not to do it.

Marika33 said:
And are you sure I should use "after" in the second sentence?
Click to expand...

No, I'm not telling you that you should use 'after' (which is just one option). I'm telling you shouldn't use 'since'.
 
Marika33 said:
  • Since we moved here, I've been working FOR this company.
How do I TALK about this same action BUT IT'S finished and has no connection to the present? Is my option with the past simple fine or should it be in the past continuous?
  • Since we moved there, I HAVE worked FOR that company.
Click to expand...
 
@Tarheel, doesn't "I HAVE worked" have a connection to the present (#5)? 😯
I, in turn, was asking about a finished action that, for example, started in 2011 and finished in 2020.

jutfrank said:
No, I'm not telling you that you should use 'after' (which is just one option). I'm telling you shouldn't use 'since'.
Click to expand...
OK, I won't use "since". :)
What should I use instead?
  • (It's 2023 now)
    I've worked/been working in this company since we moved here in 2018 (until now).
  • (It's 2026 now)
    I worked/was working in that company since (?) we moved there in 2018 (until 2024).
 
Here are three examples of how since is used.
They haven’t received any junk mail since they moved house.
They haven’t received any junk mail since they’ve moved house.
Since I’ve been back at work, I’ve been feeling great.
 
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@Marika33 You asked me a question then you put Jutfrank's answer to it in the same post.

As far as I know, nobody says they worked "in" a company.
 
Tarheel said:
@Marika33 You asked me a question then you put Jutfrank's answer to it in the same post.
Click to expand...
And so? I was asking you about what you had said in #5.

Tarheel said:
As far as I know, nobody says they worked "in" a company.
Click to expand...
Sorry, I forgot to correct it.

Piscean said:
I worked/was working in that company from the time we moved there in 2018 until 2024.
Click to expand...
The part "until 2024" isn't necessary here, right?
As "until now" here, "I've been working at/for this company since we moved here in 2018 (until now)".
 
Perhaps:

We moved here in 2018.. I've been working for this company since then.
 
jutfrank said:
1) If there's no connection to the present, you can't use 'since', because 'since' means 'from a point in the past (we moved here) until now'. So you'll have to use a different time phrase. One option would be to use 'after', though that wouldn't clearly mean that working happened immediately after moving.
Click to expand...
Piscean said:
I worked/was working in that company from the time we moved there in 2018 until 2024.
Click to expand...

It's interesting to hear these because I've found this thread, where Jutfrank said this:
jutfrank said:
The fact that she says I was the black sheep strongly suggests that she's talking about the past, in which case the past simple refused seems like the right choice.
Click to expand...

So, the past simple "refused" seemed like the right choice to Jutfrank, even though the Asian speaker used "since".

I just don't get it.
Why saying "I refused to go to church ever since I was 12" is fine (at least seemed like the right choice to Jutfrank),
but saying "I worked at that company since we moved there" is not? (Both sentences are about past).
 
Marika33 said:
I just don't get it.
Why saying "I refused to go to church ever since I was 12" is fine (at least seemed like the right choice to Jutfrank),
Click to expand...
I have just looked through that thread. I can't see where jutrank said that.
 
Last edited:
#5 Here:
jutfrank said:
I've just read the whole quote again and I see now that I misread it.

The fact that she says I was the black sheep strongly suggests that she's talking about the past, in which case the past simple refused seems like the right choice.

Since we can't see more context, it's hard to know what she means. Can't you tell us? Is she talking about the present or the past?
Click to expand...
 
I've just read that other thread again too. Concerning the use of 'since', in post #7 I said this:

jutfrank said:
I agree that since is questionable here. Many would consider it incorrect as it almost always relates to a period stretching to the present moment, or to a past time period with a past time endpoint.
Click to expand...

And in post #10 I said this:

jutfrank said:
Generally, to replace since in these cases, from is the best option if it's a preposition you need. If you're following with a clause and you need a conjunction, however, after is fine.
Click to expand...
 
jutfrank was not talking about this sentence: I was the black sheep. I refused to go to church ever since I was 12
 
I'd just like to add that it's a bad idea to use examples of language from video games when discussing how English is used. Many of these games are full of laughably unnatural language.
 
Piscean said:
I'd just like to add that it's a bad idea to use examples of language from video games when discussing how English is used. Many of these games are full of laughably unnatural language.
Click to expand...
There has not been a single example in this thread taken from a video game.

jutfrank said:
I've just read that other thread again too. Concerning the use of 'since', in post #7 I said this:

And in post #10 I said this:
Click to expand...
So, does it mean that the woman in the movie should have said, "I refused to go to church after I turned twelve/from the age of twelve" instead of the grammatically wrong version, "I refused to go to church ever since I was 12"?
 
Marika33 said:
So, does it mean that the woman in the movie should have said, "I refused to go to church after I turned twelve/from the age of twelve" instead of the grammatically wrong version, "I refused to go to church ever since I was 12"?
Click to expand...

Would you mind asking this question in the related thread?
 
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