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MaverickK Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
Several corporations began/have begun
Hi,
Since 1986 when the Department of Labor began to allow investment officers’ fees to be based on how the funds they manage perform, several corporations began paying their investment advisers a small basic fee, with a contract promising higher fees if the managers perform well.
(A) investment officers’ fees to be based on how the funds they manage perform, several corporations began
(B) investment officers’ fees to be based on the performance of the funds they manage, several corporations began
(C) that fees of investment officers be based on how the funds they manage perform, several corporations have begun
(D) fees of investment officers to be based on the performance of the funds they manage, several corporations have begun
(E) that investment officers’ fees be based on the performance of the funds they manage, several corporations began
I feel option B is correct. But in the answer key,it has been mentioned that answer D is correct.I am unable to understand this.The Department of Labour began to allow something after 1986,and if you say that "several corporations have begun" it means that they have started doing it now.I feel it should be "several corporations began" which means they started it after 1986 itself.I do not know if there is anything wrong in the first part of the underlined stuff.Please help.
Since 1986 when the Department of Labor began to allow investment officers’ fees to be based on how the funds they manage perform, several corporations began paying their investment advisers a small basic fee, with a contract promising higher fees if the managers perform well.
(A) investment officers’ fees to be based on how the funds they manage perform, several corporations began
(B) investment officers’ fees to be based on the performance of the funds they manage, several corporations began
(C) that fees of investment officers be based on how the funds they manage perform, several corporations have begun
(D) fees of investment officers to be based on the performance of the funds they manage, several corporations have begun
(E) that investment officers’ fees be based on the performance of the funds they manage, several corporations began
I feel option B is correct. But in the answer key,it has been mentioned that answer D is correct.I am unable to understand this.The Department of Labour began to allow something after 1986,and if you say that "several corporations have begun" it means that they have started doing it now.I feel it should be "several corporations began" which means they started it after 1986 itself.I do not know if there is anything wrong in the first part of the underlined stuff.Please help.
Top answer
MaverickK if you say that "several corporations have begun" it means that they have started doing it now. Why do you think it means that? The present perfect is indefinite as to time.
- MaverickK if you say that "several corporations have begun" it means that they have started doing it now.
- Why do you think it means that?
- The present perfect is indefinite as to time.
- It just means that the starting happened at some time in the past.
- It doesn't say when.
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4 Answers
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MaverickKif you say that "several corporations have begun" it means that they have started doing it now.???
Why do you think it means that? The present perfect is indefinite as to time. It just means that the starting happened at some time in the past. It doesn't say when. But it doesn't say "now". If I say that I have started writing a letter, it m
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Thanks a lot Jim for your explanation. I just got confused between "began" and "have begun". But can you tell me why is "began" wrong here? And should we use "have <verb>" with similar sentences having the since clause.And what about the first part of the underlined stuff?between "investment officers' fees" and "fees of investment officers" which one is correct?
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MaverickKBut can you tell me why is "began" wrong here? And should we use "have <verb>" with similar sentences having the since clause.To be honest, it doesn't strike me as wrong, but I think the test-makers prefer you to use the present perfect (have begun) with a since clause as a matter of style.
The same is true of the other parts
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