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Anonymous Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
Using so
1) He had so mastered the piano that the audience could not but enjoy his performance.
Can 'so' be used in this manner? Also, I want the sentence in past tense. So would it be alright to have 'could not but' here? Or, must it be 'can not but'?
2) John had helped Larry so much that the latter became eternally grateful.
Since the first half is 'past perfect' must the second half also be past perfect (that is, 'latter had become' instead of 'latter became').
Thanks,
Alfa
Can 'so' be used in this manner? Also, I want the sentence in past tense. So would it be alright to have 'could not but' here? Or, must it be 'can not but'?
2) John had helped Larry so much that the latter became eternally grateful.
Since the first half is 'past perfect' must the second half also be past perfect (that is, 'latter had become' instead of 'latter became').
Thanks,
Alfa
Top answer
1) He had so mastered the piano that the audience could not but enjoy his performance. I think the sentence is fine in your original version. I presume you're speaking of live performance.
- 1) He had so mastered the piano that the audience could not but enjoy his performance.
- I think the sentence is fine in your original version.
- I presume you're speaking of live performance.
- In case you haven't realized, the style is quite dated.
- 2) John had helped Larry so much that the latter became eternally grateful.
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5 Answers
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1) He had so mastered the piano that the audience could not but enjoy his performance.
I think the sentence is fine in your original version. I presume you're speaking of live performance.
In case you haven't realized, the style is quite dated.
2) John had helped Larry s
I think the sentence is fine in your original version. I presume you're speaking of live performance.
In case you haven't realized, the style is quite dated.
2) John had helped Larry s
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1-- The sentence is fine as it is.
2-- The sentence is fine as it is. Past perfect seldom if ever appears in subordinate clauses, even if the event is cotemporal with the past perfect event in the main clause.
2-- The sentence is fine as it is. Past perfect seldom if ever appears in subordinate clauses, even if the event is cotemporal with the past perfect event in the main clause.
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Thanks for the heads-up, MrM. I wouldn't have suspected this had someone asked me, but I shall be more observant about it. 
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Sorry-- I wasn't being brusque. Your post wasn't there when I replied, Avangi-- honest!
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It seems I gave you credit for tact and diplomacy which you didn't earn. 
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