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Siavash Moghaddasian Posted 9 years ago
Grammar

Her birthday might have been coming up

Hi everyone.
Many thanks to natives who generously help.
Would you please explain this grammatical structure"might have been coming up" ?
In the TV show "How I Met Your Mother"
Ted explains to his friends on how and why he dumped his girlfriend right before her birthday three years ago.

His friend: why did you guys break up?

Ted: and her birthday might have been coming up.

His friend: aha

Ted: Okay, so I didn't want to get a boyfriend-level gift for a girl I was just about to break up with.

His friendangrily) So you dumped her right before her birthday???
  

Top answer

Siavash Moghaddasian her birthday might have been coming up. coming up ~ about to happen ~ about to occur soon might be is a modal construction. It acts as a sort of "present tense".

— CalifJim

  • Siavash Moghaddasian her birthday might have been coming up.
  • coming up ~ about to happen ~ about to occur soon might be is a modal construction.
  • It acts as a sort of "present tense".
  • Its "past tense" is might have been , which is called a modal perfect construction (or tense).
  • So Her birthday might have been coming up means Maybe her birthday was about to occur soon .
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1 Answers
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Siavash Moghaddasianher birthday might have been coming up.

coming up ~ about to happen ~ about to occur soon

might be is a modal construction. It acts as a sort of "present tense".
Its "past tense" is might have been, which is called a modal perfect construction (or tense).

So Her birthday might have been co

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