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Cat desk Posted 8 years ago
Grammar

Could not achieve/have been unable to achieved

Hi there, Can anyone please tell me whether I should use have been unable to achieve or could not achieve in the following sentence?

Here is the example :
  • In my sixty years of life I have been unable to/could not achieve what my son has achieved.
I think in the above example have been unable to is correct as the span of time is up to now.

Here is another example:
  • John, I miss those days when we used to work as a engineer in the company. Though I was a good engineer, yet my son has achieved as a engineer what I could not achieve/have been unable to do.
I think in the above context could not achieve is correct as the person is not working anymore as a engineer. His son has been working as a engineer so I used present perfect tense.
  

Top answer

I think your first sentence and explanation are correct, but for the second I would suggest Though I was a good engineer, I wasn`t able to achieve what my son has achieved as an engineer.

— Olive file 673

  • I think your first sentence and explanation are correct, but for the second I would suggest Though I was a good engineer, I wasn`t able to achieve what my son has achieved as an engineer.
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1 Answers
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I think your first sentence and explanation are correct, but for the second I would suggest Though I was a good engineer, I wasn`t able to achieve what my son has achieved as an engineer.

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