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Anonymous Posted 12 years ago
Vocabulary
Can have received
Hi.
"Horizon
The limiting distance from which we can have received information since the Big Bang, 13.7 billion years ago, due to the finite speed of light." [From the NASA website.]
Why is the perfect infinitive "have received" used in the verb phrase "can have received" instead of the bare infinitive "receive" in the sentence? We still can receive the information, can't we?
Thank you.
"Horizon
The limiting distance from which we can have received information since the Big Bang, 13.7 billion years ago, due to the finite speed of light." [From the NASA website.]
Why is the perfect infinitive "have received" used in the verb phrase "can have received" instead of the bare infinitive "receive" in the sentence? We still can receive the information, can't we?
Thank you.
Top answer
Anonymous Why is the perfect infinitive "have received" used in the verb phrase "can have received" instead of the bare infinitive "receive" in the sentence? Because it's the past. We can't have received (from the time of the Big Bang until now) more information.
- Anonymous Why is the perfect infinitive "have received" used in the verb phrase "can have received" instead of the bare infinitive "receive" in the sentence?
- Because it's the past.
- We can't have received (from the time of the Big Bang until now) more information.
- Anonymous We still can receive the information, can't we?
- Yes, but the amount we continue to receive isn't part of the definition of "horizon" that you quoted.
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2 Answers
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AnonymousWhy is the perfect infinitive "have received" used in the verb phrase "can have received" instead of the bare infinitive "receive" in the sentence?Because it's the past. We can't have received (from the time of the Big Bang until now) more information.
AnonymousWe still can receive the information, can't we?Yes,
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