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Mike95 Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
was to have asked/was to ask
He - was to ask/was to have asked - her to marry him at their next holiday, but he changed his mind.
Wich is the right answer and why ?
Wich is the right answer and why ?
Top answer
“He was to ask her to marry him at their next holiday…” The intention here is to explain what was expected of him…past tense. “He was to have asked her to marry him at their next holiday…” The intention here is to explain what should have happened…past perfect tense. Both imply what should have happened (and didn’t).
- “He was to ask her to marry him at their next holiday…” The intention here is to explain what was expected of him…past tense.
- “He was to have asked her to marry him at their next holiday…” The intention here is to explain what should have happened…past perfect tense.
- Both imply what should have happened (and didn’t).
- Because the second clause is past tense, I think the first is the better choice.
- Both, however, suggest this was a plan known to the writer or even that ‘he’ had been given directions to ask her to marry him.
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1 Answers
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“He was to ask her to marry him at their next holiday…”
The intention here is to explain what was expected of him…past tense.
“He was to have asked her to marry him at their next holiday…”
The intention here is to explain what should have happened…past perfect tense.
Both imply what should have happened (and didn’t). Because the second clause is past tense, I think the f
The intention here is to explain what was expected of him…past tense.
“He was to have asked her to marry him at their next holiday…”
The intention here is to explain what should have happened…past perfect tense.
Both imply what should have happened (and didn’t). Because the second clause is past tense, I think the f
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