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Optimus Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

Mixed Tenses

Hello. I'd appreciate it if you could tell me which of the following is correct, and if more than one is correct, if you could tell me the difference in meaning.

1. I've noticed you've finished your homework.
2. I've noticed you'd finished your homework.
3. I've noticed you finished your homework.

4. I noticed you've finished your homework.
5. I noticed you'd finished your homework.
6. I noticed you finished your homework.

7. I had noticed you'd finished your homework.
8. I had noticed you finished your homework.

Thank you in advance for your help.
  

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6 Answers
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Hello Optimus

We say "I notice you've finished your work." The past tense version is "I noticed that you'd finished your work."
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Could anyone tell me which ones are correct? I think 1,2,4,5,6,7 are correct, but it's just a guess.
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I talked with a native English speaker and he told me that they sound right except for 2, 3, and 8. But he wasn't sure if they are grammatically wrong. Could someone verify this?
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Hello Optimus

I've added continuations to bring out the meaning in some examples, and explanations in others:

1. I've noticed you've finished your homework. That means you can help me with mine. ] Both the noticing and the finishing have a connection to the present: the addressee has probably done nothing else since finishing his homework.

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You've made it crystal clear. Thank you so much.
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AmE: No differences from BrE here that I can see. 2 and 4 sound very strange. Yet, the substitution of past for past perfect in 6 and 8 (in the that clauses) might be heard in AmE now and then.

CJ
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