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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
Name of tense
Hello everyone,
I have a question about the following phrase: "Having decided to..."
Just wondering which tense it's in, as have is modified, but does not indicate the present or past perfect tense, since it's in the continuous. I guess what I'm asking is, what tense is this: have + ing + past?
I'm embarrassed to say I'm a native English teacher, and actually taught ESL for a while. I guess it's been a while since I brushed up on my grammar, because I can't figure this one out.
Thanks for your thoughts.
I have a question about the following phrase: "Having decided to..."
Just wondering which tense it's in, as have is modified, but does not indicate the present or past perfect tense, since it's in the continuous. I guess what I'm asking is, what tense is this: have + ing + past?
I'm embarrassed to say I'm a native English teacher, and actually taught ESL for a while. I guess it's been a while since I brushed up on my grammar, because I can't figure this one out.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Top answer
It's not a tense. It's a non-finite construction, a participial construction. Non-finite structures have no tense.
- It's not a tense.
- It's a non-finite construction, a participial construction.
- Non-finite structures have no tense.
- Their tense must be inferred from the tense in the finite clause they are associated with.
- CJ
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2 Answers
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It's not a tense. It's a non-finite construction, a participial construction. Non-finite structures have no tense. Their tense must be inferred from the tense in the finite clause they are associated with.
CJ
CJ
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