Police will have the pictures enlarged in an attempt to identify the thief. This sentence include two tenses. The former one is will for the future tense and the other is past perfect future tense. How can it happen and what’s the grammar behind it? Thanks. Answer There is no such thing as a “past … Read more
I have a question. Is this sentence correct grammatically?? What have you tried for it? Or I should use this instead : Have you tried anything for it? Answer These sound like things you would ask someone with a medical condition. You can use either. If you think the person may have tried at least … Read more
Quote from English book: Sadly, I never got to meet her because she died before I was born. I think it should be: Sadly, I never got to meet her because she “had” died before I was born. I think it should be in past perfect because the death took place before the birth and … Read more
I have come across some American media (The Alternate History Hub youtube channel comes to mind) in which the perfect participle and the simple-past form have been merged. For example, we would have: “We’ve driven there before” -> “We’ve drove there before” “I would’ve sunk” -> “I would’ve sank“ “I’ve swum that distance before” -> … Read more
By definition, past perfect simple tense “expresses an action taking place before a certain time in the past”. I have a hard time to understand why Terry Pratchett used it in the sentence: “The scythe that had done the work leaned against the gnarled bole of a pear tree.” Can I kindly ask for an … Read more
By way of introduction, he said that when he was younger he had worked for a construction company. Hello, In this sentence, I would like to know why past perfect tense is used for “he had worked”. Is it because of “he said”? I learned past perfect tense is used for marking two events are … Read more
What is the difference between following sentences, which is correct to express the present situation (I am into GRM) I have been associated with GRM I have been associating with GRM Answer “have been” is past participle so you would use past tense “associated”. “am” is present participle so you would use present tense “associating”. … Read more
If a group of deceased persons stand out as a good example in the past, and that their example is definitely worth following now, do I say that they ‘were’ good examples to us; or do I say that they ‘are’ good examples to us ? Answer You would say they “are good examples” because … Read more
In the following passage, I am (for now) using “…had had…” (bolded below for easier findability). Is my usage that way correct? I’m not using a single “had” because it was a temporary name for his father. YOUNG MAN AFRAID OF HIS HORSES Living from 1836 to 1893, Sioux chief Young-Man-Afraid-of-His-Horses, was far from being … Read more
I complained to someone and they did not reply back. So I want to write a mail again to them. I am confused which is correct: I had complained to you but you have not replied yet. Or I complained to you but you have not replied yet. Please also tell if its first one … Read more
