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Desafinado Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
Why do I have to use past tense instead of past perfect tense
My sentence was corrected as follows.I assume that the reason is that I used "during" for this sentence and verb suffer should not be used for perfect tense. Please someone help me understand this.
Mine:Since I had suffered from heatstroke for more than a month, I could not have studied mathematics during that period.
Corrected sentence:Since I was suffering from heatstroke for more than a month, I could not study mathematics during that period.
Mine:Since I had suffered from heatstroke for more than a month, I could not have studied mathematics during that period.
Corrected sentence:Since I was suffering from heatstroke for more than a month, I could not study mathematics during that period.
Top answer
Past perfect is one event; it does not describe a durative action. Since I had suffered a severe heart attack in December, I could not have studied mathematics during the first semester.
- Past perfect is one event; it does not describe a durative action.
- Since I had suffered a severe heart attack in December, I could not have studied mathematics during the first semester.
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11 Answers
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Past perfect is one event; it does not describe a durative action.
Since I had suffered a severe heart attack in December, I could not have studied mathematics during the first semester.
Since I had suffered a severe heart attack in December, I could not have studied mathematics during the first semester.
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AlpheccaStars I could not have studied mathematics during the first semester.Why have you used "have" there after "could"
"could not study mathematics during the first semester" I don't know why but this sounds okay to me.
Please teach me.
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This is because I wanted to describe that I had not studied for a certain period of time.
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I think both can be used for the intended meaning. However 'could' without 'have' in that sentence sounds more natural to me.
Am I correct teachers ?
Am I correct teachers ?
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"Could have" is used to talk about possibilities if something had been different in the past.
In your sentence, aren't you talking that you couldn't study because of your sickness ?
In your sentence, aren't you talking that you couldn't study because of your sickness ?
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I wanted to describe that I had not studied due to sickness.
Now I understand when using "could", it implies possibilities and it might distort the meaning of what I wanted to say. Thank you!
Now I understand when using "could", it implies possibilities and it might distort the meaning of what I wanted to say. Thank you!
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I think you are asking something different now.
Your original question asked about the past perfect versus past continuous in the dependent clause. The past perfect is for one event, and the past continuous is about an ongoing condition:
Since I had suffered a severe heart attack in December, I could not have studied mathematics during the first semester.
Since I w
Your original question asked about the past perfect versus past continuous in the dependent clause. The past perfect is for one event, and the past continuous is about an ongoing condition:
Since I had suffered a severe heart attack in December, I could not have studied mathematics during the first semester.
Since I w
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Thank you for your thorough explanation. I am glad that I learn all these sentences work.
However, I don't understand the difference between two explanations yet. Could you give me some more examples?
The first sentence says that it was impossible or unreasonable to expect me to study mathematics because I was sick.
The second sentence says that my illness prevented me from studyi
However, I don't understand the difference between two explanations yet. Could you give me some more examples?
The first sentence says that it was impossible or unreasonable to expect me to study mathematics because I was sick.
The second sentence says that my illness prevented me from studyi
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The flower pot is on the floor . It is broken. Mother has two sons. Kyle is 8 years old. Timmy is 1 year old.
Mom thinks, "Timmy could not have broken it. The pot was on the table. He is too short, so he could not reach it. But Kyle could reach the pot. He could have broken it by accident. Maybe he knocked it off the table when he was playing with Timmy."
T
Mom thinks, "Timmy could not have broken it. The pot was on the table. He is too short, so he could not reach it. But Kyle could reach the pot. He could have broken it by accident. Maybe he knocked it off the table when he was playing with Timmy."
T
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