Present Perfect with until. Help, please.

Question

Hi, all,Can you help me with an aspect of the Present Perfect? Here's the example sentence:"Wait until you have had a chance to think about it."This sentence seems to refer to the future, rather than the past or present, i.e. "Wait until..." is clearly refering to a future time reference.Why do we use this tense? To be pedantic, why don't we say, "Wait until you will have had a chance to think about it."?I hope you can helpKind regardsSH

Marius Hancu · Accepted Answer

Anything leading to a point in time, including in the future, is OK with present perfect ...

Noirkid72 · Answer

Thank you

Could you possibly expand on that a little bit? How does my sentence lead up, as you say, to a point in time?

Thanks

SH

Marius Hancu · Answer

UNTIL indicates the point in the future

Now you have to think harder

CalifJim · Answer

1. In English, will is not used after subordinators of time (when, until, before, after, etc.), even though they refer to the future.

until you will have a chance (wrong)
until you will have had a chance (wrong)

2. The present is usually used instead.

until you have a chance

3. But if it's important to express the idea that the action has already been completed, the present perfect is used.

until you have had a chance

In 2 you are waiting for a chance to present itself (the start of the action)
In 3 you are waiting for a chance to have already come and to have already been acted upon (the whole action all the way to its end).

CJ

Noirkid72 · Answer

Thank you. Very helpful.

Present Perfect with until. Help, please.

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