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Grammar questions– conjugations, verb tenses, adverbs, adjectives, word order, syntax, etc.

 
 
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  #1
Old February 08, 2012, 01:48 AM
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Question As soon as
Difference of meaning between
Call me as soon as you finish.
Call me as soon as you have finished.
   
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  #2
Old February 08, 2012, 01:53 AM
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I don't distinguish between the two, and I'll add another, also indistinguishable:

Call me as soon as you're finished.
  #3
Old February 08, 2012, 02:24 AM
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And the difference between
Are you finished and have you finished?
  #4
Old February 08, 2012, 02:52 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ROBINDESBOIS View Post
And the difference between
Are you finished and have you finished?
None. I'm not sure whether 'are' is colloquial. BNC: 66 hits on 'are finished' and 275 on 'have finished', but the comparison is not fair for reasons too boring to relate.
  #5
Old February 08, 2012, 03:40 AM
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Maybe it's finish as transitive or intransitive

Quote:
v.tr,

1. To arrive at or attain the end of: finish a race.
2. To bring to an end; terminate: finished cleaning the room.
...

v. intr.


1. To come to an end; stop.
2. To reach the end of a task, course, or relationship.

Source: TheFreeDictionary by Farlex
Even semantics. How do you say?

I have finished that work.
I am finished with that work.

Aren't they pretty different?
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  #6
Old February 08, 2012, 04:25 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aleCcowaN View Post
I have finished that work.
I am finished with that work.

Aren't they pretty different?
Yes, I suppose those two overlap but could be different. 'I am finished..' could mean either the work is completed, or I am fed up and can't go on for some reason. It has many more overtones than 'I have finished'.

But in the context of the actual question asked, it is where the two overlap. I can see no difference between
'call me when you are finished' and 'call me when you have finished'

By the way, personally, I would never say 'call me when you finish' because it sounds illogical. I might say 'call me when you are finishing' but that means 'call me when you are in the process of finishing' ... so that I can meet you in half an hour when you will have finished.
  #7
Old February 08, 2012, 08:39 AM
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How about saying it in Spanish. I would translate as soon as this way: el momento que. Could you translate it directly with tan pronto como or does that mean as quick as?
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  #8
Old February 08, 2012, 08:58 AM
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tan pronto como
en el momento que
cuando


Quote:
Originally Posted by Perikles View Post
By the way, personally, I would never say 'call me when you finish' because it sounds illogical. I might say 'call me when you are finishing' but that means 'call me when you are in the process of finishing' ... so that I can meet you in half an hour when you will have finished.
So, that wouldn't be the subjunctive like in Spanish?
Last edited by chileno; February 08, 2012 at 09:00 AM.
  #9
Old February 08, 2012, 10:21 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chileno View Post
So, that wouldn't be the subjunctive like in Spanish?
No: we say "call me as soon as he/she finishes". If it were subjunctive, we would say "call me as soon as he/she finish", which sounds very strange to me.
  #10
Old February 08, 2012, 11:19 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by poli View Post
How about saying it in Spanish. I would translate as soon as this way: el momento que. Could you translate it directly with tan pronto como or does that mean as quick as?
tan pronto como termines
en el momento en que termines
apenas termines
inmediatamente cuando termines
ni bien termines
al momento que termines
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  #11
Old February 08, 2012, 03:18 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wrholt View Post
No: we say "call me as soon as he/she finishes". If it were subjunctive, we would say "call me as soon as he/she finish", which sounds very strange to me.

Call me as soon as you finish. It is not subjunctive?

Sorry to repeat this.
Last edited by chileno; February 08, 2012 at 07:01 PM. Reason: Added a missing l
  #12
Old February 08, 2012, 04:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chileno View Post
Cal me as soon as you finish. It is not subjunctive?

Sorry to repeat this.
How does one determine whether the verb "finish" in the sentence "call me as soon as you finish" is indicative or subjunctive?

By replacing the second-person pronoun "you" with a third-person pronoun "he" or "she" and asking a competent native speaker which is correct:

a. Subjunctive: "Call me as soon as he/she finish"
b. Indicative: "Call me as soon as he/she finishes"

If a third-person singular subject "he/she" requires indicative, the verb with subject "you" is also indicative.
  #13
Old February 08, 2012, 07:01 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wrholt View Post
How does one determine whether the verb "finish" in the sentence "call me as soon as you finish" is indicative or subjunctive?

By replacing the second-person pronoun "you" with a third-person pronoun "he" or "she" and asking a competent native speaker which is correct:

a. Subjunctive: "Call me as soon as he/she finish"
b. Indicative: "Call me as soon as he/she finishes"

If a third-person singular subject "he/she" requires indicative, the verb with subject "you" is also indicative.
hmmmm. I will be back.

EDIT:

I am back!

I do believe the following link explains it.

English Grammar
Last edited by chileno; February 08, 2012 at 08:56 PM.
  #14
Old February 09, 2012, 02:29 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chileno View Post
Call me as soon as you finish. It is not subjunctive?
It does look like it, but it isn't. It would then be

He should call me as soon as he finish

which can't be right.

Apart from the fact that I would never use the present here, always the perfect**, the finish is a certainty, not something hypothetical, therefore indicative.

** I think that Greek would use the future perfect, by the way: call me when you will have finished. But I wouldn't bet money on it.
 

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