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Anonymous Posted 12 years ago
Vocabulary

Had + perfect infinitive

Hi.

He had to have written the report before his boss' arrival.

Is the sentence grammatical?

Can I use the perfect infinitive in the verb form "have to" to express a past obligation?

Thank you.
  

Top answer

Is the sentence grammatical? Yes. Anonymous Can I use the perfect infinitive in the verb form "have to" to express a past obligation?

— Mister Micawber

  • Is the sentence grammatical?
  • Yes.
  • Anonymous Can I use the perfect infinitive in the verb form "have to" to express a past obligation?
  • Yes.
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3 Answers
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AnonymousHe had to have written the report before his boss' arrival.Is the sentence grammatical?
Yes.
AnonymousCan I use the perfect infinitive in the verb form "have to" to express a past obligation?
Yes.
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Thank you, MM, for your useful reply.
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AnonymousCan I use the perfect infinitive in the verb form "have to" to express a past obligation?
I suppose you mean "to have had to" + verb. It's grammatical, but awkward, I'd say.

It annoyed him to have had to practice the trumpet every day.

It's not awkward without the initial "to", however, as after a modal verb:

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