Over the last month / During the last month / In the last month with the Present Perfect

Unit 8:     over

            during   the last month, week, year…

                   in        past     

We often use the expressions over the last…, in the last…, and during the last… with the present perfect to talk about a state (心情, estado de ánimo, душевное состояние, حالة), an action, or event (发生的事情, acontecimientos, событие, حدث) in a time period that has begun and not yet finished. Sometimes we say the past instead of the last.

1.   Over the last (or the past) six months, he has lost all of his baby teeth and (he has) started to walk.

2.   Over the last (or the past) year, my son has graduated from high school and (he has) gone to college.

3.   In the last week, she has cut herself three times while cooking. She needs to be more careful.

4.   In the past two months, I have filled out 30 job applications!

   

         

              Important!  Remember that the time period connects to the present, not always the action or events. For example, in #1 above, the boy did not continually (不 停 地, continuamente, непрерывно, постоянно, باستمرار ، إلى ما لا نهاية) lose his teeth. He lost one tooth, then another, and then another. Each of these actions happened and ended, but the time period (over the last six months) continues to the present. In #4, you filled out one application. You finished filling it out. You filled out another. The action or event ended, but the time period (in the last two months) connects to the present.                                                                                                                            

                                    6                         5           4             3        2                1           now

January   February   March                     April        May           June      July            August        September              Mar. 3 & Mar. 30                   May 15                    July 20       August 4 

It's September now. In the last six months (in the time between March and now), the baby has lost all of his teeth. He lost a tooth on March 3 and March 30. He lost some more on May 15. He lost even more on July 20, and he lost the rest on August 4. The time period connects to now.

Note:  Over the last and in the last use the perfect when the time period extends to the present.  Last week, last year, last month, etc., use past tense.  (You cannot say Past year/Past week, I quit my job.)

5.   Over the last month, I have missed work twice.

     (It’s May now. I missed work on May 5 and again on May 12. It’s still May. The month is not finished. Use present perfect.)

6.   Last month, I missed work twice. (Note: You cannot say past here. Wrong: Past month, I missed...)

     (It’s July now. I was absent from work on June 15 and June 16. June is over. Use past tense.)

7.   In the last year (or over the past year), he has grown six inches, and his voice has gotten lower!

     (For example, it’s March 31 now. Between March of last year and now, he has grown six inches. Use present perfect.)

8.   Last year in 9th grade, she got straight A’s on her report card.

     (She’s in 10th grade this year. Last year is a definite time in the past, and it’s over. Use past tense.)

9.   In the last month of his life, he wrote a new will. (遗嘱, testamento, завещание, وصية)

     (He’s not alive anymore. The period does not continue into the present.  Use past tense.)