Thanks.

Which is preferred?

Greetings, sorry.

@ColleenV Thank you!

@CowperKettle Yep, sure is ...

I translated a Ukrainian ballad (17th century) but now I think that the translation is quite odd in places.

I would scrap some parts outright, and rewrite.

I first heard the guitar version, and like it very much despite the poor sound quality

But the first version, recorded in 1957 is beautiful too (classic rendition, as it was in the 17 century)

I saw this question, and I was wondering about something similar. Can you say "Shakespeare has written many plays."? I was taught that you can't use the present perfect with dead people (i.e., where they're the doer of the action) the same way you can't say "This has happened 5 days ago." "5 days ago" stands in contrast to "has", which is in the present. Similarly, "Shakespeare" contrasts with "has"; Shakespeare can't have anything.

And you can find the explanation in the comment section here. "There's a codicil to the Perfect construction to the effect that one can't use the present Perfect with active verbs and subject NPs referring to dead people." Cool. So I asked two of my American friends, and they said it's okay to say "Shakespeare has written many plays."

These guys are from Washington and Florida. I later asked another guy from Australia, and he said the same. StoneyB writes in his Canonical Post about the Perfect here that in "John has finished the report yesterday, has is present-tense; yesterday clashes with this just as badly as in John is yesterday." – and I was pretty convinced by the wording "clashes badly" that I thought native speakers also saw it as such.

So, is it possible that there's some kinda shift in this, that English-speaking people are somehow focusing more on the written than the has part?

Maybe I'm just really lucky to've come across such speakers, who, by the way, didn't just say "ya, sounds gud", but they stood their ground when I asked them if they're positive. They did admit the past simple sounds better, but they said you can freely use the perfect there.

Anyway, just an observation I wanted to share. Have a nice day, everyone.

Actually, no, it's not just an observation. The person who gave an answer to the question I linked at the beginning says (about a dead person): "The actress started her career in a mere age of 4 and since then she has ruled millions. She has given us many brilliant and memorable performances throughout her career." So honestly I'm a bit confused.

I've just heard this. Amazing.

I found the answer.

@V.V. Woah.

The answer?

@snailplane If it's not ungrammatical, why is the wording John Lawler employs can't, i.e., one can't use the present perfect with active verbs and subject NPs referring to dead people?. Okay I'm thinking this has can simply be thought of as not quite literal, and we can think of Shakespeare as still kind of being with us in a sense...? Haha. Just like you can say "Shakespeare is a great writer." – is that it?

Mhm. Thank you, thank you.

@V.V. The first one reads more smoothy, but the other is OK, too. They're both certainly grammatical. I'd be interested in the actual answer myself if you'd be willing to share it here, though. (:

@snailplane, privet. Don't see you much here. How are your pets?

Tell it, spring is coming soon

Rats are dangerous, I believe.

Rats are dangerous, I believe.

Sorry, I loved those fluffy things

It will be -22ºC tomorrow.

What's the temperature?

Plus?

Yeah, Freezing cold, lol

No, I saw you more often earlier, and because it's cold

I wish I had such weather. Enjoy.

@V.V. Minus 22? The swelter must have abated finally.

You didn't have any snow, did you?

Perhaps you have never had it.

Ah, so at least you have seen it and can imagine.

This winter is quite mild.

I have to go. It's almost midnight. Have a nice chat, people.

See you.

(:

See ya.