Correct tense: (haven't been able) or (wasn't able)

Question

I have made up the sentences below.(1) I haven't been/wasn't able to break any records for four months.(a) I'm glad I broke one this morning.(b) I'm glad I broke one two yesterday.(c) I'm glad I broke one last month.Some of my non-native English speaking friends think "haven't" fits all of them. My other friends think "haven't" fits only (a) and "wasn't" fits the next two.I'm very confused. Please help me. Thanks.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

ansonguyI haven't been/wasn't able to break any records for four months.

That's a very vague and mysterious action to use as your example.

Examples are easier to evaluate when they refer to more specific actions. You might want to keep that in mind for next time.

ansonguy
(1) I haven't been/wasn't able to break any records for four months.
(a) I'm glad I broke one this morning.
(b) I'm glad I broke one two yesterday. What's this? "one or two"?
(c) I'm glad I broke one last month.

ansonguySome of my non-native English speaking friends think "haven't" fits all of them. My other friends think "haven't" fits only (a) and "wasn't" fits the next two.

I find the version with "haven't been" acceptable with (a) and (b), but definitely not with (c), which needs "wasn't".

The reason is that haven't ... for four months sets aside four months ending now (or ending very nearly now compared to four months). During those four months you did not break any records, so you can't then add that you broke a record last month. It's a contradiction.

However, yesterday (b) is pretty close to the end of the four-month period, and this morning (c) even more so, so you can consider the breaking of a record at those times the end of the four-month period in which you were not able to break any records. The contradiction is not so obvious, so we can accept this interpretation.

| - - - - - - - - - - - - - four months - - - - - - - - - - - -|
| - - - - - 1 - - - - - - 2 - - - - - - 3 - - - - - - 4 - - - - - |
| - - - - - 1 - - - - - - 2 - - - - - - - - - c - - - - - - - -b a|

Here's a similar example:

I haven't eaten any donuts for two weeks, but the one I had yesterday was really good.

Technically, having the donut yesterday contradicts not having any for two weeks up to now, but yesterday is close enough to now within a two-week period so that it does not seem like a serious enough contradiction to make the sentence unacceptable. If even that small problem bothers you, you can always change haven't to hadn't.

CJ

Correct tense: (haven't been able) or (wasn't able)

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