Since it happened, I haven't felt well / Since it happened, I don't feel well
Dear italki users,
If it were a grammar quiz with only 'correct/incorrect' options, I'd say that:
- 'Since it happened, I haven't felt well' is correct
- 'Since it happened, I don't feel well' is incorrent
But I wonder if these two sentences are actually both possible but with slightly different meaning. Here is my guess:
- 'Since it happened, I haven't felt well' = from the point when it happend and until now (during that period of time) I haven't felt well.
- 'Since it happened, I don't feel well' = after the point when it happened, something changed and I don't feel well anymore (and it looks like I won't). In other words, I stopped feeling well and started feeling not well.
Is it correct? What is your opinion?
Thank you

Question

Since it happened, I haven't felt well / Since it happened, I don't feel well
Dear italki users,
If it were a grammar quiz with only 'correct/incorrect' options, I'd say that:
- 'Since it happened, I haven't felt well' is correct
- 'Since it happened, I don't feel well' is incorrent
But I wonder if these two sentences are actually both possible but with slightly different meaning. Here is my guess:
- 'Since it happened, I haven't felt well' = from the point when it happend and until now (during that period of time) I haven't felt well. 
- 'Since it happened, I don't feel well' = after the point when it happened, something changed and I don't feel well anymore (and it looks like I won't). In other words, I stopped feeling well and started feeling not well.
Is it correct? What is your opinion?
Thank you

Answer

No, the 2nd sentence doesn't have a different meaning. As you say, it is incorrect. It is possible you will hear it in conversation, but the meaning is the same as the first sentence, and the person speaking is only being very lax in grammar.

Answer

Thank you very much for your comments!

Answer

This sounds mostly right to me. In the second sentence, I would interpret 'since' the same way as 'because', but I'd say you're right.
Edit - not sure if that interpretation is a dialectal thing or not...

Answer

The first sentence is the correct one because "since" refers to an ongoing action! And with "since" and ongoing actions that started in the past, we use the present perfect (haven't felt well).

"I don't feel well" makes sense on its own if you are stating a general fact about the present. However, the moment you link it to the past the moment the action started using either "since" or "for", you have to change the tense to the present perfect!

It is the same concept that makes "I have lived in Spain since 2010" correct and "I live in Spain since 2010" in correct - I still live in Spain and I am telling you when in the past the action started.

I hope that makes sense!