DorisPao Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
Tense agreement with the subjunctive
Hello everyone!
I am speculating about the time now (not in the past):
"If I were to meet someone who HAD been living here for years and still didn't know a word of English, I would be surprised".
"If I met someone who HAD been living here for years and still didn't know a word of English, I would be surprised".
Is my use of past perfect correct? That is, it shouldn't be "who HAS been living here"? In my opinion, because all the verbs get switched to the past in the subjunctive construction (e.g. "didn't know a word…"), logically perfect continuous should also be converted to past perfect.
Can someone confirm this for me?
Thank you!
Doris.
I am speculating about the time now (not in the past):
"If I were to meet someone who HAD been living here for years and still didn't know a word of English, I would be surprised".
"If I met someone who HAD been living here for years and still didn't know a word of English, I would be surprised".
Is my use of past perfect correct? That is, it shouldn't be "who HAS been living here"? In my opinion, because all the verbs get switched to the past in the subjunctive construction (e.g. "didn't know a word…"), logically perfect continuous should also be converted to past perfect.
Can someone confirm this for me?
Thank you!
Doris.
Top answer
DorisPao Is my use of past perfect correct? Yes. Your use of the past perfect in those sentences is normal and natural.
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DorisPaoIs my use of past perfect correct?Yes. Your use of the past perfect in those sentences is normal and natural.
CJ
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