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PreciousJones Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
Describing a photograph
Hi,
Describing a picture I recently took.
These are the men from the Church who came to sing for me and Jamie on our Birthday. It was so beautiful because we have/had known all of these people for years.
Shouldn't or couldn't the past perfect be used in this situation?
Describing a picture I recently took.
These are the men from the Church who came to sing for me and Jamie on our Birthday. It was so beautiful because we have/had known all of these people for years.
Shouldn't or couldn't the past perfect be used in this situation?
Top answer
Hi. Don't capitalize church or birthday. You still know them, and you have known them for years.
- Hi.
- Don't capitalize church or birthday.
- You still know them, and you have known them for years.
- If you use past perfect, it sounds as though you no longer know them -- in other words, as though they are dead.
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3 Answers
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Hi.
Don't capitalize church or birthday.
You still know them, and you have known them for years.
If you use past perfect, it sounds as though you no longer know them -- in other words, as though they are dead.
Don't capitalize church or birthday.
You still know them, and you have known them for years.
If you use past perfect, it sounds as though you no longer know them -- in other words, as though they are dead.
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I suppose the confusion stems from backshifting. The verb in the subordinate clause often regresses to match the verb in the main clause. So would you say it is totally unacceptable to use 'had known' or 'knew'?
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" Have known " is correct. Even thought the birthday was in the past, the fact that you still know these people (your friends) makes it more sensible to use present perfect.
PreciousJonesShouldn't or couldn't the past perfect be used in this situation?I would say it is incorrect to use past perfect.
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