Questions About Grammar

Question

Which one is correct:You're the best I ever had OR You're the best I ever had?Are the following sentences correct:I might have hurt you if I'd dumped you.I suggest you shan't go there (in formal writing).The Government shall be debating this issue next week (in formal writing).Haven't you heard of this newspaper's publisher?I'm too young to be feeling so old.This purchase came after having read good reviews about it.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

AnonymousWhich one is correct:
You're the best I ever had OR You're the best I ever had?

I'll admit my eyes are growing dim, but I really can't see the difference.
Were you perhaps considering the perfect?

AnonymousI suggest you shan't go there (in formal writing).

This purchase came after having read good reviews about it.

I only have a problem with these two.

Generally, "shall" may be used with the second and third person to indicate determination, or obligation, or something of that nature.

For the first one, I'd use "I suggest you [should] not go there." Perhaps it depends on your definition of "suggest."

I think "I demand you shan't go there" would be acceptable.

The problem with the second one is that the participle "having" has no subject.

This purchase came after our having read good reviews about it would be acceptable, in my opinion.

Anonymous · Answer

Thanks for commenting.

You're right. My first sentence should have been:

Which one is correct:

"You're the best I ever had OR You're the best I have ever had".

As to the second sentence, I assume it's also correct to say:
"This purchase came after my (or me - stating an informal writing) having read good reviews about it".

Would you consider this sentence formal?

Thank you!

Dimsumexpress · Answer

AnonymousYou're the best I ever had OR You're the best I ever had?

Is this what you tried to say: You're the best I've ever had. Which is the common collocation.

In fact, if we look a little deeper, "You're the best I ever had" may even be semantically wrong as "are" suggests present and "had" suggests past.

AnonymousAre the following sentences correct:
I might have hurt you if I'd dumped you. This is a badly constructed conditional sentence. the word "dunped" really tripped me up. It sounded "demeaning". So until I know what your intended usage, I 'd leave this one alone.
I suggest you shan't go there (in formal writing). "shan't"?? That's a new to me. I don't think this " WORD" will ever be used in formal writing. Is this the substandard word for "shouldn't"?
The Government shall be debating this issue next week (in formal writing). Ok
Haven't you heard of this newspaper's publisher? Grammatically ok, but seems incomplete to me.
I'm too young to be feeling so old.

OK

Avangi · Answer

AnonymousThis purchase came after my (or me - stating an informal writing) having read good reviews about it".
Would you consider this sentence formal?

Yes, with the possessive.
Bear in mind that there are plenty of educated people who would use the possessive even when conversing casually.

Anonymous · Answer

[I'm the one who asked the question]

Shan't is the abbreviation of shall not (not shouldn't). Shall takes the place of will sometimes in

formal writing. Further, shall or shan't are less common in informal writing. You have to get to know it before

using it in sentences.

I also find "You're the best I've ever had" the correct one.

I might've hurt you if I had dumped you = You might've hurt if we had broken up. I know it may sound

demeaning; that's just a sentence I made up.

Regards

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you.

I don't want to sound too haughty.

I know there is a usage for the phrase "have had" as a verb. For example: We are proud to have had pronounce...

I saw it on a dictionary. Is it true? How do we use it correctly?

Regards

Avangi · Answer

Hi,

It's the same as any other present perfect verb. The main verb is "to have" and the auxilliary is also "to have."

In the present perfect, the main verb appears as the past participle.

I have pneumonia, so I can't help with the yard work. simple present

I had pneumonia in 1980. simple past

I have had pneumonia three times. present perfect

I had had pneumonia before I entered the service. past perfect

Anonymous · Answer

You didn't get me right at all. I know how to use present perfect and past perfect.

However, I saw there is a verb called "to have had", e.g.: We are proud to have had prounce/d...

Do you know this usage?

Thank you

Khoff · Answer

AnonymousYou didn't get me right at all. I know how to use present perfect and past perfect.
However, I saw there is a verb called "to have had", e.g.: We are proud to have had prounce/d...
Do you know this usage?
Thank you

No, I don't know any usage of "have had" apart from the present perfect. I certainly don't know of a verb called "to have had." I also don't know what "prounce/d" means -- I suppose it's a typo, but I don't know what you intended, so your example doesn't help any.

Edited to add: Okay, I see in an earlier post your example was "We are pround to have had pronounced. . . " I'm sorry, but without a complete sentence or more context this doesn't make any sense to me as anything distinct from a present perfect usage of "to have."

Edited again -- so apparently it's not present perfect, but a perfect infinitive. Learn something new every day!

Dimsumexpress · Answer

AnonymousYou didn't get me right at all. I know how to use present perfect and past perfect.
However, I saw there is a verb called "to have had", e.g.: We are proud to have had prounce/d...
Do you know this usage?

Thank you

Anon,

No, what you were looking for is not a "verb". It is another form of "perfect". You may think that you understand how to use perfect tense, but based on what you told us just now. You only know perfect usage by means of formulaic construction. The trick is recognize when to use it. This form is called " Perfec Infinitivet". " I am glad to have met you." is just one of the common collocation. This website can help you.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/french/grammar/verbsh/perfectinfinitiverev1.shtml

Questions About Grammar

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions