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Seagull Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
The meaning of "should have p.p."
Regarding the following sentence:
Larry should have arrived at Donna's home by now.
What situation do you think of when you hear this sentence? What best describes your impression if you choose one from the items below? Besides, which item is possible and which is not?
(A) Since the traffic is quite light today, I think Larry has already reached Donna's home.
(B) Larry is supposed to be at Donna's home by this time, but something seems to be wrong. Donna called me just now to tell me that he has not arrived yet.
(C) Larry has an appointment to meet Donna at her home, but he is late and has not arrived there yet. I am sorry he is not punctual.
Larry should have arrived at Donna's home by now.
What situation do you think of when you hear this sentence? What best describes your impression if you choose one from the items below? Besides, which item is possible and which is not?
(A) Since the traffic is quite light today, I think Larry has already reached Donna's home.
(B) Larry is supposed to be at Donna's home by this time, but something seems to be wrong. Donna called me just now to tell me that he has not arrived yet.
(C) Larry has an appointment to meet Donna at her home, but he is late and has not arrived there yet. I am sorry he is not punctual.
Top answer
B All are possible. C is unlikely..
- B All are possible.
- C is unlikely..
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4 Answers
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seagullWhat situation do you think of when you hear this sentence?(A) was the one I thought of first when I read the original sentence, but without the traffic explanation. More specifically, I, the speaker, expect that Larry has already arrived at Donna's home.
After reading (B), however, I saw that (B) was another possible interpretation.
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