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LeGion12359 Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Perfect Infinitive vs simple Infinitive

I need to have reached to my mother before the storm hits.
I need to reach my mother before the storm hits.
Could you please tell me what's the difference between the above two sentences in terms of meaning?
  

Top answer

LeGion12359 I need to have reached to my mother before the storm hits. That is either temporally impossible or very awkward. LeGion12359 I need to reach my mother before the storm hits.

— Mister Micawber

  • LeGion12359 I need to have reached to my mother before the storm hits.
  • That is either temporally impossible or very awkward.
  • LeGion12359 I need to reach my mother before the storm hits.
  • That is right.
  • The storm has not yet arrived.
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13 Answers
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LeGion12359I need to have reached to my mother before the storm hits.
That is either temporally impossible or very awkward.
LeGion12359I need to reach my mother before the storm hits.
That is right. The storm has not yet arrived.
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Mister MicawberLeGion12359I need to have reached to my mother before the storm hits.That is either temporally impossible or very awkward.LeGion12359I need to reach my mother before the storm hits.That is right. The storm has not yet arrived.
Alright, but what's the first sentence implying?
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LeGion12359I need to have reached to my mother before the storm hits.
That is not grammatical.

In the past:
Yesterday there was a big storm.
1) I should / could have reached my mother's house before the storm hit, but I didn't. I had to seek shelter in the mosque.
2) I would have reached my mother's house before the storm hi
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AlpheccaStarsLeGion12359I need to have reached to my mother before the storm hits.That is not grammatical.In the past:Yesterday there was a big storm. 1) I should / could have reached my mother's house before the storm hit, but I didn't. I had to seek shelter in the mosque.2) I would have reached my mother's house before the storm hit, but my car ran out of gas. I had to
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I would have preferred to have stayed in a small hotel rather than that big one.

It means: I stayed in that big hotel. I didn't like it. I wish I had stayed in the small hotel. I like small hotels better than that big hotel.

For future holidays:
I prefer to stay in a small hotel rather than a big one. I will make reservations in small hotels, not big on
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AlpheccaStarsI would have preferred to have stayed in a small hotel rather than that big one.It means: I stayed in that big hotel. I didn't like it. I wish I had stayed in the small hotel. I like small hotels better than that big hotel.For future holidays:I prefer to stay in a small hotel rather than a big one. I will make reservations in small hotels, not big ones.
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LeGion12359Alright. If I say thus,then I think there would be no change in meaning:I would have preferred to stay in a small..........Am I correct?
That's ok. The perfect infinitive makes it clear that the hotel stay was in the past, and you are talking about that one event.
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I am sorry to say ,ma'am, but I didn't get the answer which I wanted. Could you please tell me the difference between these:
I would prefer to have stayed in a small hotel rather than that big one.
I would have preferred to stay in a small hotel rather than that big one.
I would have preferred to have stayed in a small hotel rather than
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LeGion12359I am sorry to say ,ma'am, but I didn't get the answer which I wanted. Could you please tell me the difference between these 1:I would prefer to have stayed in a small hotel rather than that big one. 2 I would have preferred to stay in a small hotel rather than that big one.
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LeGion12359... the difference between these:
I would prefer to have stayed ... / I would have preferred to stay ... / I would have preferred to have stayed ...
There is usually no intended difference.

See and following posts in that thread.

CJ
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