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Caeser Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

can you help solution

How can we improve upon the tense of the verb in following sentence,

Because Iwas so busy, I had not cleaned my desk for two weeks.

can we do it like this

(a) Because I was so busy, I had not been cleaning my desk for two weeks.

(b) Because I had been so busy, I had not cleaned my desk for two weeks.

(c) Because I was so busy, I have not cleaned my desk for two weeks.

Or do you have some other idea ?
  

Top answer

(b) is okay. (a) and (c) are not so great. There's also: (d) Because I have been so busy, I have not cleaned my desk for two weeks.

— Davkett

  • (b) is okay.
  • (a) and (c) are not so great.
  • There's also: (d) Because I have been so busy, I have not cleaned my desk for two weeks.
  • (e) Because I was so busy, I did not clean my desk for two weeks.
  • They are not necessarily equal, and I don't believe it can be said that one is intrinsically better than the other.
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2 Answers
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(b) is okay. (a) and (c) are not so great.

There's also:

(d) Because I have been so busy, I have not cleaned my desk for two weeks.

(e) Because I was so busy, I did not clean my desk for two weeks.

They are not necessarily equal, and I don't believe it can be said that one is intrinsically better than
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The original is fine. I see no need to improve upon it. (b) is also acceptable, however.

CJ
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