Clauses

Question

Hi,1.'In the future sea levels will rise because polar ice will melt.'2. 'Forests are cut down so that animals have been extinct.'My questions:In sentence (1),is it OK to use the future ?In sentence(2),is the tense 'have been' suitable for the meaning or are there better tenses?And what meaning does the present perfect convey here?Thanks.

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

1.'In the future sea levels will rise because polar ice will melt.'

2. 'Forests are cut down so that animals have been extinct.'

My questions:

In sentence (1),is it OK to use the future ? Yes

In sentence(2),is the tense 'have been' suitable for the meaning or are there better tenses?And what meaning does the present perfect convey here?
In sentence 2, I can't find a meaning unless I start trying to guess.

Perhaps you think 'extinct' is a verb. It's not. It's an adjective.Here are some common ways to use it.
Dinosaurs are extinct.
Dinosaurs became extinct many years ago.
Dinosaurs have become extinct.

You could say
eg Many forests have been cut down, so many animals have become extinct.

Clive

Nsfs2 · Answer

CliveHi,1.'In the future sea levels will rise because polar ice will melt.'2. 'Forests are cut down so that animals have been extinct.'My questions:In sentence (1),is it OK to use the future ? YesIn sentence(2),is the tense 'have been' suitable for the meaning or are there better tenses?And what meaning does the present perfect convey here?In sentence 2, I can't find a meaning unless I start trying to guess.Perhaps you think 'extinct' is a verb. It's not. It's an adjective.Here are some common ways to use it.Dinosaurs are extinct.Dinosaurs became extinct many years ago.Dinosaurs have become extinct.You could sayeg Many forests have been cut down, so many animals have become extinct. Clive

Hi,Clive,

Is it OK to say'Forests are cut down so that lots of animals are extinct today'?

I know 'extinct' is adj.

Can my sentence be rephrased as follows?'Forests have been cut down so that lots of animals have been extinct for so long.'

Clive · Answer

Hi,

s it OK to say 'Forests are cut down so that lots of animals are extinct today'?
No. This makes it sound like that is the purpose of cutting down the forests.
It has tense problems, too. You need to indicate that the cutting happened in the past.

I know 'extinct' is adj.

Can my sentence be rephrased as follows?'Forests have been cut down so that lots of animals have been extinct for so long.' No. I can't really find a meaning in the second part. It all sounds like muddled thinking, to be honest.

Clive

Nsfs2 · Answer

Hi,again,

I' m going to explain how I understand the sentence and I need you to correct me,please:

Forests are cut down(everyday)so that(and as a result)lots of animals are extinct today (as it is evident).

What's the problem with using the present perfect before 'extinct'?I need an example with the present perfect with 'extinct',please.

Thanks for your patience with me,Clive.

Clive · Answer

Hi again,

I' m going to explain how I understand the sentence and I need you to correct me,please:

Forests are cut down(everyday)so that(and as a result)lots of animals are extinct today (as it is evident).

Say 'so' to focus on result. eg I t rained so I got wet.
'So that' suggests purpose. eg I took my umbrella so that I wouldn't get wet.

The underlying problem here is that both parts of the sentence involve today. To my thinking, the first part should focus on the past, ie the situation of extinction today needs to arise from some past action.

If you want to focus on both parts happening today, you could say
Forests are cut down every day so lots of animals are becoming extinct.

What's the problem with using the present perfect before 'extinct'? I need an example with the present perfect with 'extinct',please.

You said
2. 'Forests are cut down so that animals have been extinct.'
The first part relates to present routine. The second part relates to the past up until now. I don't see a connection.

If you want to use Present Perfect. you can say
eg Lots of animals have become extinct. The action happened sometime in the past.

eg Lots of animals have been extinct for thousands of years. The state existed in the past, but you need some indication of the length of time.

Clive

Nsfs2 · Answer

Thanks,Clive.

Clauses

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions