the first

i think the correct answer is "d"

-Not a grammar expert

then can you explain what's wrong with C?

"The first man/person to view it" is a special adjectival use of the infinitival phrase. The infinitival can read as a past event in spite of the fact that it is not in the form of "to have viewed it".

As for "the first person having viewed it", it may be wrong. I cannot get why, but one of my English grammar books says that a perfect participle "having V-ed" cannot post-modify a definite

I need native speaker advice on this.

d. is the only option that sounds right to me.

Although in practise, I would say 'I sold my house to the first person who viewed it.'

By the way, I would trust Paco's answers if I were you.

thanks for your advice. any answer is valuable. thanks paco.

can someone explain why "having viewed" is wrong and whether "viewing" and "to have viewed" are correct?

There must be a rule when you want to express "the first + action", you have to use "the first to + infinitive", not "the first + -ing form". I don't know it, but only the "to + infinitive" possibility sounds right. It may have to do with active and passive meanings, but I'd need a linguist here!

Only d is correct. I think you're supposed to see the common formula "[only, first, second, third, ..., last] ... to ..." among the answers. (It leaps out if you are a native speaker.)

"to have viewed it" would also be correct, but unnecessarily wordy almost to the point of silliness.

DiamondrgCan someone explain why "having viewed" is wrong and whether "viewing" and "to have viewed" are correct?

The question you are raising may relate to the problem to what extent we can use nonfinite clauses as a post modifier for nouns. This problem is, however, one of the subjects least discussed in most of English grammar books. Quirk's CGEL gives us a

Then we are talking about two different structures?

1- Much to my amazement, I sold my house to the first person ---- it.

A) to view B) to have viewed C) having viewed D) viewing

Can you explain which ones are not acceptable? C and D? (I changed the alternatives)

2- The man ---- the race is my brother.

A) winning B) having won (I wrote