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Perfect Stranger Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

Grammar question no. 41 - before you know if you've known

Hi again,

Here's the sentence in question:

Before you know if you've won or lost, you have to know who the audience is or who the judge is.

Why is the present perfect tense used here? Can't I say Before you know if you win or lose... ?
  

Top answer

Perfect Stranger Why is the present perfect tense used here? Because the winning has taken place in a time period before the knowing.

— Fivejedjon

  • Perfect Stranger Why is the present perfect tense used here?
  • Because the winning has taken place in a time period before the knowing.
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5 Answers
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Perfect StrangerWhy is the present perfect tense used here?
Because the winning has taken place in a time period before the knowing.
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1.Before you know if you've won or lost
This indicates that the action winning and losing happened prior to knowing.
2.Before you know if you win or lose
This is wrong. Because this has a connotation "winning and losing always happen frequently."

For example.
I want to know if I am handsome.
The simple present indicates the status of being h
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fivejedjonBecause the winning has taken place in a time period before the knowing.
Thanks Fivejedjon. Hmm... may I ask how you know it has taken place in a time period before the knowing? If it has taken place before the knowing, then why can't we use past simple?
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Perfect Strangermm... may I ask how you know it has taken place in a time period before the knowing?
At the moment of winning something, then you know you have won it. The moment of winning passes before you can speak about it.
Perfect Stranger If it has taken place before the knowing, then why can't we use past simple?
What
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I'm confused... It looks like the present perfect tense is functioning in that sentence just like past simple would...
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