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Angliholic Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

been finished

0 01b01font001. The meeting has been finished earlier.02br
002. The meeting has finished ealier.02font02b02br
02br
00Which sounds better to you? If both work here, are there any subtle nuances? Thanks.00 0-
  

Top answer

0 The present perfect sounds a little odd to my American ear. The first sentence sounds especially odd. 02br 02br 02i 00What does 'earlier mean?

— Yankee

  • 0 The present perfect sounds a little odd to my American ear.
  • The first sentence sounds especially odd.
  • 02br 02br 02i 00What does 'earlier mean?
  • 01i 02br 02br 02i 0-
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8 Answers
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0 The present perfect sounds a little odd to my American ear. The first sentence sounds especially odd. I'd use the simple past tense:02br
02br
01i00The meeting (was) finished earlier.02br
02br
02i00What does 'earlier mean? "Earlier than planned" or "earlier today" or something else?01i02br
02br
02i0-
0
0
0Thanks, Yankee.02br
02br
00It's only a sentence-making practice; earlier doesn't make difference.0-
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0 01i00The meeting finished / ended earlier.02br
00 The meeting has already finished / ended.02i02br
02br
01i00earlier02i00 suggests a specific time, so it is incompatible with the present perfect tense.02br
02br
00 CJ0-
0
0
0 01blockquote
01cite10CalifJim12cite11i10The meeting finished / ended earlier.12br
10 The meeting has already finished / ended.12i12br
12br
11i10earlier12i10 suggests a specific time, so it is 11font10incompatible with the present perfect tense12font
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0 Thanks, my friends. 0-
0
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0 01blockquote
00a Google search for "have seen earlier" gives almost 100,000 hits, and they were not all written by nonnatives.12blockquote
10Isn't it sad to see so many innocent souls in the thrall of heresy? 05002br
02br
00 CJ010id5
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0I don't see how it's incompatible. It just didn't make sense in this context. 050010id4
0
0
0 01blockquote
01cite10CalifJim12cite11blockquote
10a Google search for "have seen earlier" gives almost 100,000 hits, and they were not all written by nonnatives.22blockquote
20Isn't it sad to see so many innocent souls in the thrall of heresy? 15012br
12br
10 CJ12br
12br
1
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