I’m grounded for two months. Is this sentence grammatically correct?
I am not sure if we can use present tense with a period of time.
What I learned is use present perfect tense with a period of time.
I think the correct one is “I’ve been grounded for two months.”
Do native speakers use present tense with a period of time?
Thank you!
“I have been grounded for two months” is, indeed, the more correct way of saying the sentence but I think that the example is a common way that many people, especially teenagers, say it.
Some dictionaries have added the meaning of a child being punished by their parents to ‘grounded’ the adjective, as an alternative meaning to ‘grounded’ as in “my boat is grounded.” So, the present tense must be common enough that it is not incorrect.
I have heard both ways of saying it. Kids often say “I can’t. I’m grounded.” They rarely say “I can’t. I have been grounded.”
I have no idea what the difference between present perfect tense or present imperfect tense or any other kind of tense in English is but I see nothing wrong with “I’m grounded for two months” meaning I’m grounded now and will be grounded for a total duration of two months. “I’m here for two months” meaning I’m here now and will be here for a total duration of two months. There is some ambiguity because it is not clear when the time period started but there is a suggestion that the period of time is from now onwards. “I am grounded for the next two months” or “I have been grounded for the last two months” would be better if clarification is required.
“I´m ground for two months”, I think that doesn´t make sense, is not clear, because the tense should be past: grounded. So the sentence will have sense: "I´m grounded for two months/ “Jack is grounded for five more days” / “Jesse can´t go, because is grounded for three days”/ “Lucy last night arrived too late, and she was grounded for two weeks”
Thank you for telling me. That was a typo. Sorry!
Perfect explanation Ian! The simple present or present progressive is sometimes used with a time expression to indicate both the present situation and the future simultaneously, but can also include a past period of time that is unspecified.
Here are some more examples (I might add more, if I can think of any):
I’m off work for two months.
(I am off work now and will be off work for a total duration of two months.)
I’m helping out for a bit.
(I am helping out now and will be helping out for a short, unspecified period of time.)
I think the main problem here is the most of everyone is taken the word “grounded” as a verb. If considered as an adjective, which it is in my opinion as it describes the state that the teen is/would be over a period of time, then the statement “I am grounded for two months” is grammatically correct.
