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I just found this in a Cambridge Grammar Book and I am so confused. When I learnt English in school, the teacher said I cannot put Since and Ago together in present perfect sentence. However, in this book there are so many examples of combining together. What I know is since express period but ago is one point in the past, so that ago cannot be in present perfect sentence. Could you explain this?

From Advanced Grammar in Use by Martin Hewings. Unit 3 3.3 (page 7)

Find the following: (i) three sentences that are incorrect; (i) three sentences with the present perfect which could also have the past simple (consider the difference in meaning); (iii) three sentences where only the present perfect is correct. (A-G)

[A-G refers to the author's examples and explanations of the Present perfect (I have done) and past simple (I did) and their usages]

  1. Jane has agreed to lend us her car. (I)
  2. Do you know how many people have walked on the moon?
  3. Phone for an ambulance. I think Keith's broken his arm.
  4. In his twenties, Lawrence has spent many years travelling around Spain.
  5. The Vikings have established a settlement at what is now York, in the north of England.
  6. The house looks so much bigger now that we've painted the walls in brighter colours.
  7. My brother has gone into town to buy some new shoes.
  8. The Earth has been formed about 4,500 million years ago.
  9. I've worked in Malaysia for three years.

Unit 8 (page 16)

Since the operation two months ago, Joe has been learning to walk again.

Jinny

Mari-Lou A
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Jin Eui Lee
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    What's the full title of the book and is it online? The present perfect covers completed action during the time from some (not necessarily specified ) past time up to the present. So you shouldn't say "has been formed about 4.5B years ago, because the forming stopped a long time ago. Joe's learning to walk, however, covers the past time from his operation up to the present, so that's OK. – deadrat Nov 01 '15 at 08:37
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    The example for unit 3.3 is wrong...it should be "was formed." Is the title spelled "Cambridge" or "Combridge"? Second example is ok. – michael_timofeev Nov 01 '15 at 08:48
  • Users who post examples need to double check spelling, punctuation, and tenses before asking questions on EL&U. Could you please write the sentence/or explanation that accompanies before and after the example on Unit3 3.3., please? – Mari-Lou A Nov 01 '15 at 08:54
  • @Mari-LouA I asked about the title because there are many Chinese rip offs of textbooks and this could be one of them. – michael_timofeev Nov 01 '15 at 08:55
  • @ Mari-Lou A sorry I wrote this question before taking a nap thus, I even didn't check spelling and just slept. Definitely this Combridge is typo. The book is Cambridge First Edition. The first question is from unit 3.3 example 8, I thought has been formed was correct answer but ago is wrong. Since the Earth keeps changing so that “Last" function of present perfect would work in this sentence so that I thought "ago" is wrong, and I wonder are there anybody to explain the second question with more details. Actually I am more focused on the second question and would like to make it clear – Jin Eui Lee Nov 01 '15 at 10:47
  • I'm sorry, but I don't understand your last comment, it's a bit confusing. Could you please edit and write, word for word, the 3.3. example 8 and Unit 8 from the text book. Check spelling etc. The notes that comes before the examples, and the notes that follow. It could be that the author's notes explain more clearly the examples. – Mari-Lou A Nov 01 '15 at 11:50
  • Voting to close. The example provided by the text book: Advanced Grammar in Use was part of an exercise: 3.3 Find the following: *(i) three sentences that are incorrect;* (i) three sentences with the present perfect which could also have the past simple (consider the difference in meaning); (Hi) three sentences where only the present perfect is correct. (A-G) – Mari-Lou A Nov 01 '15 at 13:48
  • 1 Jane has agreed to lend us her car. (I) 2 Do you know how many people have walked on the moon? 3 Phone for an ambulance. I think Keith's broken his arm. 4 In his twenties, Lawrence has spent many years travelling around Spain. 5 The Vikings have established a settlement at what is now York, in the north of England. 6 The house looks so much bigger now that we've painted the walls in brighter colours. 7 My brother has gone into town to buy some new shoes. 8 The Earth has been formed about 4,500 million years ago. 9 I've worked in Malaysia for three years. – Mari-Lou A Nov 01 '15 at 13:48
  • This question is better suited to ELL, I used my close vote for lack of context, and then I changed my mind and copied and pasted the full excerpt. – Mari-Lou A Nov 01 '15 at 14:07
  • It's actually explained in unit 8 how to use the present perfect continuous. I think you should get a grammar book for students at Intermediate level, the explanations will be fuller and the language used simpler. Try Raymond Murphy's series. – Mari-Lou A Nov 01 '15 at 14:12
  • @Mari-LouA I knew she was citing that book, but mine is the new edition, which was completely rewritten, so I couldn't find the examples. Agreed, that is a difficult book. I take it with me for "train reading." – michael_timofeev Nov 01 '15 at 15:25

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