“My boss was furious with me and I have been fired” vs. “My boss was furious with me and I was fired”...
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“My boss was furious with me and I have been fired” vs. “My boss was furious with me and I was fired”
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I have a question and I hope you can help me. I've been learning English for many years but I'm still struggling with the difference between simple past and present perfect.
For example this sentence here:
"By the time I got to the office, the meeting (begin, already) had already begun without me. My boss (be) was furious with me and I (be) was fired."
Can I also say "My boss was furious with me and I have been fired."?
I lately read an article in the business insider with the topic "What to do right after you've been fired?". Could I say "What to do right after you got fired?" too?
My native language is German and for me both sounds perfectly fine when I just don't seem to get the difference. Are both sentences right and if so what exactly is the difference?
Help would be very much appreciated.
Thank you!
grammar past-tense perfect-constructions
New contributor
add a comment |
I have a question and I hope you can help me. I've been learning English for many years but I'm still struggling with the difference between simple past and present perfect.
For example this sentence here:
"By the time I got to the office, the meeting (begin, already) had already begun without me. My boss (be) was furious with me and I (be) was fired."
Can I also say "My boss was furious with me and I have been fired."?
I lately read an article in the business insider with the topic "What to do right after you've been fired?". Could I say "What to do right after you got fired?" too?
My native language is German and for me both sounds perfectly fine when I just don't seem to get the difference. Are both sentences right and if so what exactly is the difference?
Help would be very much appreciated.
Thank you!
grammar past-tense perfect-constructions
New contributor
1
Did you mean "What to do right after you got fired" ?
– jonathanjo
12 hours ago
1
Yes indeed that’s what I meant. The „t“ probably got lost. :D
– Heda
10 hours ago
What to do right after you get fired ( advice for a future eventuality, in general) or what did you do right after you got fired ( a specific person in the past)
– anouk
10 hours ago
add a comment |
I have a question and I hope you can help me. I've been learning English for many years but I'm still struggling with the difference between simple past and present perfect.
For example this sentence here:
"By the time I got to the office, the meeting (begin, already) had already begun without me. My boss (be) was furious with me and I (be) was fired."
Can I also say "My boss was furious with me and I have been fired."?
I lately read an article in the business insider with the topic "What to do right after you've been fired?". Could I say "What to do right after you got fired?" too?
My native language is German and for me both sounds perfectly fine when I just don't seem to get the difference. Are both sentences right and if so what exactly is the difference?
Help would be very much appreciated.
Thank you!
grammar past-tense perfect-constructions
New contributor
I have a question and I hope you can help me. I've been learning English for many years but I'm still struggling with the difference between simple past and present perfect.
For example this sentence here:
"By the time I got to the office, the meeting (begin, already) had already begun without me. My boss (be) was furious with me and I (be) was fired."
Can I also say "My boss was furious with me and I have been fired."?
I lately read an article in the business insider with the topic "What to do right after you've been fired?". Could I say "What to do right after you got fired?" too?
My native language is German and for me both sounds perfectly fine when I just don't seem to get the difference. Are both sentences right and if so what exactly is the difference?
Help would be very much appreciated.
Thank you!
grammar past-tense perfect-constructions
grammar past-tense perfect-constructions
New contributor
New contributor
edited 5 hours ago
Alsee
1933
1933
New contributor
asked 14 hours ago
HedaHeda
384
384
New contributor
New contributor
1
Did you mean "What to do right after you got fired" ?
– jonathanjo
12 hours ago
1
Yes indeed that’s what I meant. The „t“ probably got lost. :D
– Heda
10 hours ago
What to do right after you get fired ( advice for a future eventuality, in general) or what did you do right after you got fired ( a specific person in the past)
– anouk
10 hours ago
add a comment |
1
Did you mean "What to do right after you got fired" ?
– jonathanjo
12 hours ago
1
Yes indeed that’s what I meant. The „t“ probably got lost. :D
– Heda
10 hours ago
What to do right after you get fired ( advice for a future eventuality, in general) or what did you do right after you got fired ( a specific person in the past)
– anouk
10 hours ago
1
1
Did you mean "What to do right after you got fired" ?
– jonathanjo
12 hours ago
Did you mean "What to do right after you got fired" ?
– jonathanjo
12 hours ago
1
1
Yes indeed that’s what I meant. The „t“ probably got lost. :D
– Heda
10 hours ago
Yes indeed that’s what I meant. The „t“ probably got lost. :D
– Heda
10 hours ago
What to do right after you get fired ( advice for a future eventuality, in general) or what did you do right after you got fired ( a specific person in the past)
– anouk
10 hours ago
What to do right after you get fired ( advice for a future eventuality, in general) or what did you do right after you got fired ( a specific person in the past)
– anouk
10 hours ago
add a comment |
5 Answers
5
active
oldest
votes
If the speaker were talking to someone soon after the firing, the "was...have been" construction would be appropriate.
The "have been" verb is in the present perfect progressive tense, which describes an action that began in the past and continues in the present, and may continue in the future. The speaker has been fired, so that is almost certainly going to continue!
This usage is right in the recent-firing case because the status of being fired and accepting it is still on the speaker's mind as being processed but isn't over yet.
"Was fired" is a usage that says, yes, the person got fired at that past point, and they've processed that and have moved on.
Compare "I have been dumped by my paramour" (still dealing with it) and "I was dumped" (that's in my past now and I've handled it).
add a comment |
The first thing to realise is that in most cases, whether or not to use the present perfect is a free choice: it depends on how you are choosing to relate the events to the present circumstances.
If you choose to use the perfect, you are expressing that the event which happened had some relevance to the present time. What that relevance is depends on many things: it might be that the event was very recent; it might be that it created a state which is still continuing; it might be that it is seen as part of a series of events which are still continuing; it might be that it has consequences now.
In this case, if you choose the present perfect, you are saying that being fired is relevant to the present: probably that you are in the state of having been fired, as Davo says. In this case "my boss was angry with me and I've been fired" probably means that this is very recent - today or maybe yesterday. If it was longer ago, I would have expected "and I was fired". But not necessarily: if you are choosing to emphasise the fact that you are still feeling the consequences of the firing, you might choose "I have been fired" even if it was much longer ago.
Re: "whether or not to use the present perfect is a free choice": I would avoid the term free in this context, because it suggests that the two versions are equivalent. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_variation.) As you go on to explain, they are not: they differ in how they relate the events to the present circumstances. In some cases, the difference is extreme enough to imply materially different facts.
– ruakh
9 hours ago
@ruakh: my point is that in most cases (not all) you can describe the same objective events either way.
– Colin Fine
5 hours ago
I'm not disagreeing with your point, I'm just suggesting that you not use the word "free" this way.
– ruakh
4 hours ago
add a comment |
Can I also say "My boss was furious with me and I have been fired."?
That's an error, but it's not a grammatical error, more of a style error. "My boss was furious" is simple past. "I have been fired" is present perfect. Present perfect is a mixture of past and present; it discusses things that happened in the past, but does so with respect to the current situation. "I have been fired" means "My current state is fired". While the firing happened in the past, the focus is on the current state of unemployment. Thus, this breaks up the connection between the two clauses. "My boss was furious with me and I was fired" presents the two clauses as two connected facts: my boss was furious -> my firing resulted. "My boss was furious with me and I have been fired" breaks up the flow and makes these sound like two random facts you've decided to put in one sentence, rather than causally related.
Could I say "What to do right after you go fired?" too?
No, "go" can't be used that way. You can say "What to do right after you get fired?" or "What to do right after you are fired?"
You might want to post this on the German SE to get the perspective of people fluent in both languages as to how they compare.
Just to add concerning German language. No, also in standard German the use of Vergangenheit would be an error due to the same reason. It is just that Bavarian dialects do not have another choice, because Mitvergangenheit does not really exist there.
– rexkogitans
8 hours ago
add a comment |
Both are fine.
...and I was fired.
This explains what happened in the past - you were fired.
...and I have been fired.
This explains your current situation - you are in a state of having been fired.
I would say they have a different shade of meaning--the first implies the firing was immediate, while the second suggests it happened at a later time before the present.
– eyeballfrog
11 hours ago
add a comment |
Your sentence is set in the past "By the time I got to the office...". That is why the past tense is used, I think. There is also a sequence of events:
1.the meeting began 2.you got there late 3.boss was furious 4.you got fired. Past simple is also used for sequence in the past.
"I have been fired" could be used to announce this recent fact (announcement of news) which is on your mind now because it affects the present = you have to look for a new job.
"when you have been fired" is a passive sentence. Someone else has fired you, you have been fired by your boss.
add a comment |
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5 Answers
5
active
oldest
votes
5 Answers
5
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
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votes
If the speaker were talking to someone soon after the firing, the "was...have been" construction would be appropriate.
The "have been" verb is in the present perfect progressive tense, which describes an action that began in the past and continues in the present, and may continue in the future. The speaker has been fired, so that is almost certainly going to continue!
This usage is right in the recent-firing case because the status of being fired and accepting it is still on the speaker's mind as being processed but isn't over yet.
"Was fired" is a usage that says, yes, the person got fired at that past point, and they've processed that and have moved on.
Compare "I have been dumped by my paramour" (still dealing with it) and "I was dumped" (that's in my past now and I've handled it).
add a comment |
If the speaker were talking to someone soon after the firing, the "was...have been" construction would be appropriate.
The "have been" verb is in the present perfect progressive tense, which describes an action that began in the past and continues in the present, and may continue in the future. The speaker has been fired, so that is almost certainly going to continue!
This usage is right in the recent-firing case because the status of being fired and accepting it is still on the speaker's mind as being processed but isn't over yet.
"Was fired" is a usage that says, yes, the person got fired at that past point, and they've processed that and have moved on.
Compare "I have been dumped by my paramour" (still dealing with it) and "I was dumped" (that's in my past now and I've handled it).
add a comment |
If the speaker were talking to someone soon after the firing, the "was...have been" construction would be appropriate.
The "have been" verb is in the present perfect progressive tense, which describes an action that began in the past and continues in the present, and may continue in the future. The speaker has been fired, so that is almost certainly going to continue!
This usage is right in the recent-firing case because the status of being fired and accepting it is still on the speaker's mind as being processed but isn't over yet.
"Was fired" is a usage that says, yes, the person got fired at that past point, and they've processed that and have moved on.
Compare "I have been dumped by my paramour" (still dealing with it) and "I was dumped" (that's in my past now and I've handled it).
If the speaker were talking to someone soon after the firing, the "was...have been" construction would be appropriate.
The "have been" verb is in the present perfect progressive tense, which describes an action that began in the past and continues in the present, and may continue in the future. The speaker has been fired, so that is almost certainly going to continue!
This usage is right in the recent-firing case because the status of being fired and accepting it is still on the speaker's mind as being processed but isn't over yet.
"Was fired" is a usage that says, yes, the person got fired at that past point, and they've processed that and have moved on.
Compare "I have been dumped by my paramour" (still dealing with it) and "I was dumped" (that's in my past now and I've handled it).
answered 6 hours ago
Joe McMahonJoe McMahon
33116
33116
add a comment |
add a comment |
The first thing to realise is that in most cases, whether or not to use the present perfect is a free choice: it depends on how you are choosing to relate the events to the present circumstances.
If you choose to use the perfect, you are expressing that the event which happened had some relevance to the present time. What that relevance is depends on many things: it might be that the event was very recent; it might be that it created a state which is still continuing; it might be that it is seen as part of a series of events which are still continuing; it might be that it has consequences now.
In this case, if you choose the present perfect, you are saying that being fired is relevant to the present: probably that you are in the state of having been fired, as Davo says. In this case "my boss was angry with me and I've been fired" probably means that this is very recent - today or maybe yesterday. If it was longer ago, I would have expected "and I was fired". But not necessarily: if you are choosing to emphasise the fact that you are still feeling the consequences of the firing, you might choose "I have been fired" even if it was much longer ago.
Re: "whether or not to use the present perfect is a free choice": I would avoid the term free in this context, because it suggests that the two versions are equivalent. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_variation.) As you go on to explain, they are not: they differ in how they relate the events to the present circumstances. In some cases, the difference is extreme enough to imply materially different facts.
– ruakh
9 hours ago
@ruakh: my point is that in most cases (not all) you can describe the same objective events either way.
– Colin Fine
5 hours ago
I'm not disagreeing with your point, I'm just suggesting that you not use the word "free" this way.
– ruakh
4 hours ago
add a comment |
The first thing to realise is that in most cases, whether or not to use the present perfect is a free choice: it depends on how you are choosing to relate the events to the present circumstances.
If you choose to use the perfect, you are expressing that the event which happened had some relevance to the present time. What that relevance is depends on many things: it might be that the event was very recent; it might be that it created a state which is still continuing; it might be that it is seen as part of a series of events which are still continuing; it might be that it has consequences now.
In this case, if you choose the present perfect, you are saying that being fired is relevant to the present: probably that you are in the state of having been fired, as Davo says. In this case "my boss was angry with me and I've been fired" probably means that this is very recent - today or maybe yesterday. If it was longer ago, I would have expected "and I was fired". But not necessarily: if you are choosing to emphasise the fact that you are still feeling the consequences of the firing, you might choose "I have been fired" even if it was much longer ago.
Re: "whether or not to use the present perfect is a free choice": I would avoid the term free in this context, because it suggests that the two versions are equivalent. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_variation.) As you go on to explain, they are not: they differ in how they relate the events to the present circumstances. In some cases, the difference is extreme enough to imply materially different facts.
– ruakh
9 hours ago
@ruakh: my point is that in most cases (not all) you can describe the same objective events either way.
– Colin Fine
5 hours ago
I'm not disagreeing with your point, I'm just suggesting that you not use the word "free" this way.
– ruakh
4 hours ago
add a comment |
The first thing to realise is that in most cases, whether or not to use the present perfect is a free choice: it depends on how you are choosing to relate the events to the present circumstances.
If you choose to use the perfect, you are expressing that the event which happened had some relevance to the present time. What that relevance is depends on many things: it might be that the event was very recent; it might be that it created a state which is still continuing; it might be that it is seen as part of a series of events which are still continuing; it might be that it has consequences now.
In this case, if you choose the present perfect, you are saying that being fired is relevant to the present: probably that you are in the state of having been fired, as Davo says. In this case "my boss was angry with me and I've been fired" probably means that this is very recent - today or maybe yesterday. If it was longer ago, I would have expected "and I was fired". But not necessarily: if you are choosing to emphasise the fact that you are still feeling the consequences of the firing, you might choose "I have been fired" even if it was much longer ago.
The first thing to realise is that in most cases, whether or not to use the present perfect is a free choice: it depends on how you are choosing to relate the events to the present circumstances.
If you choose to use the perfect, you are expressing that the event which happened had some relevance to the present time. What that relevance is depends on many things: it might be that the event was very recent; it might be that it created a state which is still continuing; it might be that it is seen as part of a series of events which are still continuing; it might be that it has consequences now.
In this case, if you choose the present perfect, you are saying that being fired is relevant to the present: probably that you are in the state of having been fired, as Davo says. In this case "my boss was angry with me and I've been fired" probably means that this is very recent - today or maybe yesterday. If it was longer ago, I would have expected "and I was fired". But not necessarily: if you are choosing to emphasise the fact that you are still feeling the consequences of the firing, you might choose "I have been fired" even if it was much longer ago.
answered 12 hours ago
Colin FineColin Fine
32.3k24562
32.3k24562
Re: "whether or not to use the present perfect is a free choice": I would avoid the term free in this context, because it suggests that the two versions are equivalent. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_variation.) As you go on to explain, they are not: they differ in how they relate the events to the present circumstances. In some cases, the difference is extreme enough to imply materially different facts.
– ruakh
9 hours ago
@ruakh: my point is that in most cases (not all) you can describe the same objective events either way.
– Colin Fine
5 hours ago
I'm not disagreeing with your point, I'm just suggesting that you not use the word "free" this way.
– ruakh
4 hours ago
add a comment |
Re: "whether or not to use the present perfect is a free choice": I would avoid the term free in this context, because it suggests that the two versions are equivalent. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_variation.) As you go on to explain, they are not: they differ in how they relate the events to the present circumstances. In some cases, the difference is extreme enough to imply materially different facts.
– ruakh
9 hours ago
@ruakh: my point is that in most cases (not all) you can describe the same objective events either way.
– Colin Fine
5 hours ago
I'm not disagreeing with your point, I'm just suggesting that you not use the word "free" this way.
– ruakh
4 hours ago
Re: "whether or not to use the present perfect is a free choice": I would avoid the term free in this context, because it suggests that the two versions are equivalent. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_variation.) As you go on to explain, they are not: they differ in how they relate the events to the present circumstances. In some cases, the difference is extreme enough to imply materially different facts.
– ruakh
9 hours ago
Re: "whether or not to use the present perfect is a free choice": I would avoid the term free in this context, because it suggests that the two versions are equivalent. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_variation.) As you go on to explain, they are not: they differ in how they relate the events to the present circumstances. In some cases, the difference is extreme enough to imply materially different facts.
– ruakh
9 hours ago
@ruakh: my point is that in most cases (not all) you can describe the same objective events either way.
– Colin Fine
5 hours ago
@ruakh: my point is that in most cases (not all) you can describe the same objective events either way.
– Colin Fine
5 hours ago
I'm not disagreeing with your point, I'm just suggesting that you not use the word "free" this way.
– ruakh
4 hours ago
I'm not disagreeing with your point, I'm just suggesting that you not use the word "free" this way.
– ruakh
4 hours ago
add a comment |
Can I also say "My boss was furious with me and I have been fired."?
That's an error, but it's not a grammatical error, more of a style error. "My boss was furious" is simple past. "I have been fired" is present perfect. Present perfect is a mixture of past and present; it discusses things that happened in the past, but does so with respect to the current situation. "I have been fired" means "My current state is fired". While the firing happened in the past, the focus is on the current state of unemployment. Thus, this breaks up the connection between the two clauses. "My boss was furious with me and I was fired" presents the two clauses as two connected facts: my boss was furious -> my firing resulted. "My boss was furious with me and I have been fired" breaks up the flow and makes these sound like two random facts you've decided to put in one sentence, rather than causally related.
Could I say "What to do right after you go fired?" too?
No, "go" can't be used that way. You can say "What to do right after you get fired?" or "What to do right after you are fired?"
You might want to post this on the German SE to get the perspective of people fluent in both languages as to how they compare.
Just to add concerning German language. No, also in standard German the use of Vergangenheit would be an error due to the same reason. It is just that Bavarian dialects do not have another choice, because Mitvergangenheit does not really exist there.
– rexkogitans
8 hours ago
add a comment |
Can I also say "My boss was furious with me and I have been fired."?
That's an error, but it's not a grammatical error, more of a style error. "My boss was furious" is simple past. "I have been fired" is present perfect. Present perfect is a mixture of past and present; it discusses things that happened in the past, but does so with respect to the current situation. "I have been fired" means "My current state is fired". While the firing happened in the past, the focus is on the current state of unemployment. Thus, this breaks up the connection between the two clauses. "My boss was furious with me and I was fired" presents the two clauses as two connected facts: my boss was furious -> my firing resulted. "My boss was furious with me and I have been fired" breaks up the flow and makes these sound like two random facts you've decided to put in one sentence, rather than causally related.
Could I say "What to do right after you go fired?" too?
No, "go" can't be used that way. You can say "What to do right after you get fired?" or "What to do right after you are fired?"
You might want to post this on the German SE to get the perspective of people fluent in both languages as to how they compare.
Just to add concerning German language. No, also in standard German the use of Vergangenheit would be an error due to the same reason. It is just that Bavarian dialects do not have another choice, because Mitvergangenheit does not really exist there.
– rexkogitans
8 hours ago
add a comment |
Can I also say "My boss was furious with me and I have been fired."?
That's an error, but it's not a grammatical error, more of a style error. "My boss was furious" is simple past. "I have been fired" is present perfect. Present perfect is a mixture of past and present; it discusses things that happened in the past, but does so with respect to the current situation. "I have been fired" means "My current state is fired". While the firing happened in the past, the focus is on the current state of unemployment. Thus, this breaks up the connection between the two clauses. "My boss was furious with me and I was fired" presents the two clauses as two connected facts: my boss was furious -> my firing resulted. "My boss was furious with me and I have been fired" breaks up the flow and makes these sound like two random facts you've decided to put in one sentence, rather than causally related.
Could I say "What to do right after you go fired?" too?
No, "go" can't be used that way. You can say "What to do right after you get fired?" or "What to do right after you are fired?"
You might want to post this on the German SE to get the perspective of people fluent in both languages as to how they compare.
Can I also say "My boss was furious with me and I have been fired."?
That's an error, but it's not a grammatical error, more of a style error. "My boss was furious" is simple past. "I have been fired" is present perfect. Present perfect is a mixture of past and present; it discusses things that happened in the past, but does so with respect to the current situation. "I have been fired" means "My current state is fired". While the firing happened in the past, the focus is on the current state of unemployment. Thus, this breaks up the connection between the two clauses. "My boss was furious with me and I was fired" presents the two clauses as two connected facts: my boss was furious -> my firing resulted. "My boss was furious with me and I have been fired" breaks up the flow and makes these sound like two random facts you've decided to put in one sentence, rather than causally related.
Could I say "What to do right after you go fired?" too?
No, "go" can't be used that way. You can say "What to do right after you get fired?" or "What to do right after you are fired?"
You might want to post this on the German SE to get the perspective of people fluent in both languages as to how they compare.
answered 12 hours ago
AcccumulationAcccumulation
1,82517
1,82517
Just to add concerning German language. No, also in standard German the use of Vergangenheit would be an error due to the same reason. It is just that Bavarian dialects do not have another choice, because Mitvergangenheit does not really exist there.
– rexkogitans
8 hours ago
add a comment |
Just to add concerning German language. No, also in standard German the use of Vergangenheit would be an error due to the same reason. It is just that Bavarian dialects do not have another choice, because Mitvergangenheit does not really exist there.
– rexkogitans
8 hours ago
Just to add concerning German language. No, also in standard German the use of Vergangenheit would be an error due to the same reason. It is just that Bavarian dialects do not have another choice, because Mitvergangenheit does not really exist there.
– rexkogitans
8 hours ago
Just to add concerning German language. No, also in standard German the use of Vergangenheit would be an error due to the same reason. It is just that Bavarian dialects do not have another choice, because Mitvergangenheit does not really exist there.
– rexkogitans
8 hours ago
add a comment |
Both are fine.
...and I was fired.
This explains what happened in the past - you were fired.
...and I have been fired.
This explains your current situation - you are in a state of having been fired.
I would say they have a different shade of meaning--the first implies the firing was immediate, while the second suggests it happened at a later time before the present.
– eyeballfrog
11 hours ago
add a comment |
Both are fine.
...and I was fired.
This explains what happened in the past - you were fired.
...and I have been fired.
This explains your current situation - you are in a state of having been fired.
I would say they have a different shade of meaning--the first implies the firing was immediate, while the second suggests it happened at a later time before the present.
– eyeballfrog
11 hours ago
add a comment |
Both are fine.
...and I was fired.
This explains what happened in the past - you were fired.
...and I have been fired.
This explains your current situation - you are in a state of having been fired.
Both are fine.
...and I was fired.
This explains what happened in the past - you were fired.
...and I have been fired.
This explains your current situation - you are in a state of having been fired.
answered 13 hours ago
DavoDavo
3,3231929
3,3231929
I would say they have a different shade of meaning--the first implies the firing was immediate, while the second suggests it happened at a later time before the present.
– eyeballfrog
11 hours ago
add a comment |
I would say they have a different shade of meaning--the first implies the firing was immediate, while the second suggests it happened at a later time before the present.
– eyeballfrog
11 hours ago
I would say they have a different shade of meaning--the first implies the firing was immediate, while the second suggests it happened at a later time before the present.
– eyeballfrog
11 hours ago
I would say they have a different shade of meaning--the first implies the firing was immediate, while the second suggests it happened at a later time before the present.
– eyeballfrog
11 hours ago
add a comment |
Your sentence is set in the past "By the time I got to the office...". That is why the past tense is used, I think. There is also a sequence of events:
1.the meeting began 2.you got there late 3.boss was furious 4.you got fired. Past simple is also used for sequence in the past.
"I have been fired" could be used to announce this recent fact (announcement of news) which is on your mind now because it affects the present = you have to look for a new job.
"when you have been fired" is a passive sentence. Someone else has fired you, you have been fired by your boss.
add a comment |
Your sentence is set in the past "By the time I got to the office...". That is why the past tense is used, I think. There is also a sequence of events:
1.the meeting began 2.you got there late 3.boss was furious 4.you got fired. Past simple is also used for sequence in the past.
"I have been fired" could be used to announce this recent fact (announcement of news) which is on your mind now because it affects the present = you have to look for a new job.
"when you have been fired" is a passive sentence. Someone else has fired you, you have been fired by your boss.
add a comment |
Your sentence is set in the past "By the time I got to the office...". That is why the past tense is used, I think. There is also a sequence of events:
1.the meeting began 2.you got there late 3.boss was furious 4.you got fired. Past simple is also used for sequence in the past.
"I have been fired" could be used to announce this recent fact (announcement of news) which is on your mind now because it affects the present = you have to look for a new job.
"when you have been fired" is a passive sentence. Someone else has fired you, you have been fired by your boss.
Your sentence is set in the past "By the time I got to the office...". That is why the past tense is used, I think. There is also a sequence of events:
1.the meeting began 2.you got there late 3.boss was furious 4.you got fired. Past simple is also used for sequence in the past.
"I have been fired" could be used to announce this recent fact (announcement of news) which is on your mind now because it affects the present = you have to look for a new job.
"when you have been fired" is a passive sentence. Someone else has fired you, you have been fired by your boss.
edited 12 hours ago
answered 12 hours ago
anoukanouk
1,831414
1,831414
add a comment |
add a comment |
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1
Did you mean "What to do right after you got fired" ?
– jonathanjo
12 hours ago
1
Yes indeed that’s what I meant. The „t“ probably got lost. :D
– Heda
10 hours ago
What to do right after you get fired ( advice for a future eventuality, in general) or what did you do right after you got fired ( a specific person in the past)
– anouk
10 hours ago