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Rex Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

We have or We will have

0Or, perhaps, in. When we finally reach the CFDT trade union building to the north, their meeting is well under way, though car worker and trade unionist Olof Hervieu breaks off to meet us. Unlike Mr Gerard, he dreads what a Sarkozy victory would mean for France. 02br
00"It's all a cliche that we work too few hours. I finished work at 8pm last night," he says. "Mind you, my boss is English." Olof, who was brought up in France by a French father and a Swedish mother, speaks English with a glorious mix of French accent combined with a Swedish lilt. He is a firm believer in the Socialist candidate Segolene Royal. 02br
00"I think it's high time we had a woman president in France. It would change some of the macho attitudes and make people think differently." 02br
02br
00He says that the way to improve France's stagnant job market and sluggish growth is not by working longer hours or making people and firms compete harder, but by improving training and education from a young age, to ensure that French workers can turn their hand to any job.02br
00------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------02br
00France is going to have election soon. It seems people will elect either Mr Sarkozy or Madame Royal.02br
00Please look at the penultimate sentence of the above. It would be incorrect to say ' I think it's high time we had a woman president in France'.02br
01font00It should either be 'we will have or we have' in this context. This is a forthcoming event. How do you write 'we had' ?02br
02font
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Top answer

0 This is a subjunctive. ' means that it should have happened long ago. 0-

  • 0 This is a subjunctive.
  • ' means that it should have happened long ago.
  • 0-
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2 Answers
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0 This is a subjunctive. 'It's high/about time we had, did, etc.' means that it should have happened long ago. 0-
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0 Indeed, "it's high time that ... " requires subjunctive mood. 01b00Had. 02br
02br
02b
00See this advice at the BBC: 01b02br
02b
05002br
00 0230hrefhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1535_questionanswer/page42.shtml

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