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Zuotengdazuo Posted 9 years ago
2. "They must have counted heads wrongly as usual!"
3. "They must have counted heads wrongly again!"
4. "Had they not counted heads before they set out?"
5. "They must be idiots to have miscounted heads!"
Do these sentences fit in the given context? Thank you in advance.
Grammar
They must have counted heads wrongly...
1. "They must have counted heads wrongly"
My second trip to Findlay was even more ridiculous. When the bus stopped at Rockford, I got off to use the facilities. After I came out of the restroom, I went to the bus parked in front of the station only to find that it was not my bus! I walked into the station to ask the lady on duty. It turned out that the bus had left without waiting for me. With barely controlled anger, I asked, "How could they leave without me? They ________________________ (before they left). I left my luggage on the bus. Can you call it back...
2. "They must have counted heads wrongly as usual!"
3. "They must have counted heads wrongly again!"
4. "Had they not counted heads before they set out?"
5. "They must be idiots to have miscounted heads!"
Do these sentences fit in the given context? Thank you in advance.
Top answer
1 fine 2/3 need a context of earlier errors 4 totally unnatural 5 OK if you want to be offensive
- 1 fine 2/3 need a context of earlier errors 4 totally unnatural 5 OK if you want to be offensive
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8 Answers
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1 fine
2/3 need a context of earlier errors
4 totally unnatural
5 OK if you want to be offensive
2/3 need a context of earlier errors
4 totally unnatural
5 OK if you want to be offensive
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Clive1 fine2/3 need a context of earlier errors4 totally unnatural5 OK if you want to be offensiveThank you, Clive. I see.
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Clive1 fine2/3 need a context of earlier errors4 totally unnatural5 OK if you want to be offensiveOh, I made a mistake. For #4 I meant to say "Have they not counted heads before they set out?"
Is it ok in this context?
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That's incorrect grammar,
You could say
"Didn't they count heads before they set out?"
You could say
"Didn't they count heads before they set out?"
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CliveThat's incorrect grammar,You could say"Didn't they count heads before they set out?"Thank you for your correction. But I don't see why I can't use present perfect in this sentence?
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"Have they not counted heads before they set out?"
Have they not counted heads refers to the past up until the present.
before they set out refers to before a point in the past.
Your tenses contradict each other.
You need to review the Present Perfect.
Have they not counted heads refers to the past up until the present.
before they set out refers to before a point in the past.
Your tenses contradict each other.
You need to review the Present Perfect.
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Many thanks. I knew that, but my memory just failed me.
On a side note, why does past perfect also not work for this sente
On a side note, why does past perfect also not work for this sente
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"Had they not counted heads before they set out?"
This is not wrong. But because the word 'before' makes the sequence of events obvious, we commonly use just Simple Past tense.
ie Didn't they count heads before they set out?"
This is not wrong. But because the word 'before' makes the sequence of events obvious, we commonly use just Simple Past tense.
ie Didn't they count heads before they set out?"
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