Tenses-Problem

Question

Which of these following sentences is correct?
1) I have seen the musical in Hamburg and it was very good.
2) I saw the musical in Hamburg and it was very good.
3) I have seen the musical in Hamburg and it has been very good.

I'm sure sentence 2 is correct, however, I'm not sure if the others are correct, too.

I'm awaiting your replies
Robert

MrPedantic · Accepted Answer

Hello Robsee

#1 might be used to correct someone:

1. "You haven't seen that musical in Hamburg, have you?" "Yes, I have seen..."

Or:

2. "Have you read X?" "No, but I've seen the musical – in Hamburg – and it was/it's very good."

Or simply to refer to a recent event.

#2 is fine, as a standard statement about the past.

#3 is a little strange; you wouldn't use it unless you wanted to stress that you had seen it, but it's either no longer any good, or only occasionally good:

3. "On the contrary, I have seen the musical, quite often, in Hamburg; and it has been very good, on occasion."

Other members may be able to find other contexts for #1 and #3!

MrP

Pieanne · Answer

I prefer n° 2. "in Hamburg" is understood as "when I was in Hamburg", so you can't use the present perfect; "the musical (there and then) was very good".

CalifJim · Answer

The second requires the least contextualization.  It is the most "normal" of the three.

MrPedantic · Answer

I hope it wasn't anything by Lloyd-Webber, by the way.

Rishonly · Answer

Hello Teachers,

"I have seen the musical..". Since musical is an adjective, don't we need a noun after musical?

Crux_online · Answer

In this case musical is used as a noun meaning 'piece of musical theater/theatre'. It is very common to see any musical play or film called a musical.

C

Rishonly · Answer

Thanks, Crux.

Robsee · Answer

Thanks for your replies.

I'm glad most of you have the same views as me.

But, is this sentence correct, or could one say so?
The musical is good which I have (just) seen.

Robert

Crux_online · Answer

The musical, which I have just seen, is good.

Here the phrase is relating back to mucisal and must be place directly after. The purpose of this phrase is to give more information about the noun directly preceding it. Which is used when the information in the phrase in not required in order to identify which musical you're discussing.

If you remove the phrase...

The musical is good.

...and discover that it is terribly ambiguous, you may want to use that instead.

The musical that I have just seen is good. (notice: no commas with that)

To satisfy any need you have for grammatical terminology:

grammar.uoregon.eduWhen information is critical to the understanding of the main clause, use that as the appropriate relative pronoun and do not set the information off by commas. The clause containing the pronoun and not set off by commas is referred to as a restrictive clause.

When information is NOT critical to the understanding of the main clause, use which as the appropriate relative pronoun and set the information off by commas. The clause set off by commas is referred to as a nonrestrictive dependent clause.

C

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