0
Anonymous Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
Past in the main and present perfect in the subordinate
Hi. I need your help on the following two sentences that have the past tense for the main verbs and present perfect tense for the verbs for subordinate clauses (I think I have written the facts correctly but I am sure). Let me preface by saying I think they are correct.
I think it is true and the tenses change (inflects?) from the perspective of the present. (I think I have written it correctly to reflect what I wanted to say, but not sure, though.) The following sentences seem to show that his knowing and telling respectively have occurred in the past, that is, the past of the moment/time of the writing. But the fact that "she has done it" and the fact "that he has done it" seem to bring the fact of her having done it to the moment/time of the writing. If you understood what I have said (wow, I think I have used the same sentence pattern again.
), please tell me your view on this.
He knew she has done it.
He told me she has done it.
I think it is true and the tenses change (inflects?) from the perspective of the present. (I think I have written it correctly to reflect what I wanted to say, but not sure, though.) The following sentences seem to show that his knowing and telling respectively have occurred in the past, that is, the past of the moment/time of the writing. But the fact that "she has done it" and the fact "that he has done it" seem to bring the fact of her having done it to the moment/time of the writing. If you understood what I have said (wow, I think I have used the same sentence pattern again.
), please tell me your view on this.He knew she has done it.
He told me she has done it.
Top answer
Anonymous He knew she has done it. He told me she has done it. In my opinion, it depends on whether you view "doing it" as habitual behavior or as a single event.
- Anonymous He knew she has done it.
- He told me she has done it.
- In my opinion, it depends on whether you view "doing it" as habitual behavior or as a single event.
- In the second one, if he told you in the past, then she did it in the past.
- If it's a single event, I'd say "He told me she had done it" is most natural.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
2 Answers
0
Anonymous He knew she has done it.
He told me she has done it.
In my opinion, it depends on whether you view "doing it" as habitual behavior or as a single event.
In the second one, if he told you in the past, then she did it in the past.
If it's a single event, I'd say "He told me she had done it" is most natural.
00
Related Questions