I'm using what is probably the worst book in the world for grammar explanations, but it has listening everyday, which I really need with the JLPT coming up.
Anyways, today's grammar point is "Vている：have already done"
It goes on to use many examples most of them including もう or まだ.
My questions is: When should I use もう・まだ? What's the difference in usage?
Do those look good? The second one is ok, being present tense? [/quote]
Reading this makes me think someone offered you tea but you actually already have some you are drinking (maybe they didn't see it). If you want to use "already," I'm pretty sure you need to use the past tense (飲みました). If that is the case, you wouldn't need the 今日.
Your question about when to use this structure and when to use past tense is actually a really good one :)
The key point is that with teiru there is an expection that a particular action should have been completed. e.g. In the breakfast example: 朝ごはんはまだ食べていません。 The situation would be that it's 11am and I haven't eaten breakfast yet or that my breakfast has been sitting on the table but I got a phonecall and so I haven't eaten breakfast yet.
e.g. A homework example: 宿題はまだやっていません。 My mum told me to do my homework hours ago, but I haven't done it yet.
With past tense you are simply stating facts. e.g. 朝ごはんは食べませんでした。 I didn't eat breakfast.
Do those look good? The second one is ok, being present tense? [/quote]
Reading this makes me think someone offered you tea but you actually already have some you are drinking (maybe they didn't see it). If you want to use "already," I'm pretty sure you need to use the past tense (飲みました). If that is the case, you wouldn't need the 今日. [/quote]
The thing here is that when you're using もう～ている to mean something that has been done already, it's usually an action that would only take place once. So, in someone else's example there was something like 準備はもう完成しています (the preparations are already complete... sorry don't remember the exact wording :P) - you wouldn't prepare for something more than once (hopefully!). However with drinking tea, that's something you can do many times throughout the day and having done it once doesn't preclude doing it again later. In that sense using もう～ている doesn't make sense. So another example: その事についてもう知っています I already knew about that works, but 彼にもう電話しています would mean I'm already calling him on the phone, rahter than I've already called him. Does that help at all?
The thing here is that when you're using もう～ている to mean something that has been done already, it's usually an action that would only take place once. So, in someone else's example there was something like 準備はもう完成しています (the preparations are already complete... sorry don't remember the exact wording :P) - you wouldn't prepare for something more than once (hopefully!). However with drinking tea, that's something you can do many times throughout the day and having done it once doesn't preclude doing it again later. In that sense using もう～ている doesn't make sense. So another example: その事についてもう知っています I already knew about that works, [b]but 彼にもう電話しています would mean I'm already calling him on the phone, rahter than I've already called him. Does that help at all?[/b] [/quote]
That last part really helps. I already learned about もう and past tense, but not about progressive. Thanks!
