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Viceidol Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

"How should he have known it?" and "How should he know it?"

0How 01b00should02b00 he 01b00have known02b00 it? (What's the tense in this sentence? Is it like "How 01b00did02b00 he know it?")02br
02br
00How01b00 should02b00 he 01b00know02b00 it? (What's the tense in this sentence? Is it like "How 01b00does02b00 he know it?")02br
02br
00Please help me solve my doubt. Thank you!0-
  

Top answer

0Closer to past perfect (it's typically 01b 00before02b 00 some event), than simple past to me. 02br 00Mostly present/future time. 0-

— Marius Hancu

  • 0Closer to past perfect (it's typically 01b 00before02b 00 some event), than simple past to me.
  • 02br 00Mostly present/future time.
  • 0-
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3 Answers
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0Closer to past perfect (it's typically 01b00before02b00 some event), than simple past to me. 02br
00Mostly present/future time. 0-
0
0
0The modal verbs (like 01i00should, would02i00, etc.) don't really have tenses in the same way that other verbs do.02br
00You are right, however, that 01i00should02i00 is 01b00like02b00 the present, and 01i00should have02i00 is 01b00like02b00 the past. Your paraphrases
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0Thank you! I totally understand now!0-
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