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Jack112 Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

Present perfect / Past Perfect

Scenario: A cop pulls me over for doing a U-turn and he asks me why I did a U-turn. I say:

1. Sorry for my careless driving. I'm lost and I have been driving on this straight for a long time trying to make a turn.

2. Sorry for my careless driving. I'm lost and I had been driving on this straight for a long time trying to make a turn.

Should I use past perfect or present perfect here? Which one is the best? Why?

Thanks.
  

Top answer

Use present perfect, Jack-- you're still driving, and you're still lost.

— Mister Micawber

  • Use present perfect, Jack-- you're still driving, and you're still lost.
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3 Answers
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Use present perfect, Jack-- you're still driving, and you're still lost.
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Mister MicawberUse present perfect, Jack-- you're still driving, and you're still lost.

1. I'm lost and I have been driving on this straight for a long time trying to make a turn. (Present perfect is sitll okay? I jsut made an U-turn though? I'm not on that road anymore?)
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Yes. This straight runs both ways-- to be fair though, the sentence is not quite natural, as this straight does not sound right to me. So perhaps I misunderstood the original. Let me try to rephrase it. Is the following equivalent?--

Cop: Why did you hang that Uey, buddy?
Jack: Sorry, officer-- I'm lost and I've been driving on this st
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