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SuperESL Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
Having
Hi,
If I want to thank someone after he has performed a service for me, should I say:
(1)Thank you for taking the trouble to help me out on this.
Or
(1)Thank you for having taken the trouble to help me out on this. ?
The nub of my question is on the use of 'having.' Must I use it on account of the fact that I am referring to an action that has already taken place (i.e. use past tense)? Or perhaps most people are not that rigid with grammatical rules in casual conversations?
Thank you.
If I want to thank someone after he has performed a service for me, should I say:
(1)Thank you for taking the trouble to help me out on this.
Or
(1)Thank you for having taken the trouble to help me out on this. ?
The nub of my question is on the use of 'having.' Must I use it on account of the fact that I am referring to an action that has already taken place (i.e. use past tense)? Or perhaps most people are not that rigid with grammatical rules in casual conversations?
Thank you.
Top answer
SuperESL perhaps most people are not that rigid with grammatical rules in casual conversations? You're right about that. Most people would say #1.
- SuperESL perhaps most people are not that rigid with grammatical rules in casual conversations?
- You're right about that.
- Most people would say #1.
- Rover
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5 Answers
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SuperESLperhaps most people are not that rigid with grammatical rules in casual conversations?You're right about that.
Most people would say #1.
Rover
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Yes, but is it the case that "having taken the trouble" is the more correct choice if we are strict about grammar? Or is "taking the trouble" just as valid?
Thank you.
Thank you.
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As 'taking the trouble' is what most people would say, that is enough to justify its validity.
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Okay, my question is: is "having taken the trouble" also valid? Say I am writing formal English here and would like to be very strict about grammar. Thanks.
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