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Latest post Wed, Oct 8 2008 12:25 AM by Gori. 3 replies.
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Gori  +  574050 Tue, 07 Oct 08 09:43 AM

Dear teachers,

I get confused if all of the following sentences a) through d) could be gmmatically correct or not.

Original sentences before parallel structure are:

1. Use the present perfect tense.
2. Use the past perfect tense.

In parallel structure:

a) Use the present and past perfect tenses.  (This is probablly the best, isn't it?)
b) Use the present perfect and the past perfect tense. (Is it grammatially okay?)
c) Use the present perfect and past perfect tenses. (How about this??)
d) Use the present and the past perfect tense. (Is it also grammatically okay?)

Native speakers, please, please help me!!!

 

Joined on Tue, Sep 5 2006
Tokyo
Full Member 107
RayH  +  574231 Tue, 07 Oct 08 08:49 PM
a) Use the present and past perfect tenses.  (This is probablly the best, isn't it?)
b) Use the present perfect and the past perfect tense. (Is it grammatially okay?)
c) Use the present perfect and past perfect tenses. (How about this??)
d) Use the present and the past perfect tense. (Is it also grammatically okay?)

I don't have a problem with any of these. Although I don't claim to be a grammar expert, my guess would be that strict grammarians would say that only a) and c) are correct.
Joined on Sat, Mar 22 2008
Contributing Member 1,555
Native speaker of U. S. English. Not a grammar expert.
Clive  +  574290 Tue, 07 Oct 08 11:26 PM
Hi,
A and D seem ambiguous to me. Does 'present' refer to 'present perfect' or to 'simple present', which is often called just 'present (tense)'?

Clive

Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004
Canada
Veteran Member 29,612
El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo
Gori  +  574304 Wed, 08 Oct 08 12:25 AM

Thank you for your comments and advice, both RayH and CliveEmbarrassed

As Clive says, what you say makes sense to me.  Probably a) and d) may be ambiguous and readers may refer to them as "present tense," not "present perfect tense."  Thank you for pointing it out!

However, as RayH says all of the examples a) through d) are still grammatically acceptable??  According to my grammar book, it says that "parallel structure makes repeating the same words unncecessary."  In my examples, what are the same words unnecessary?  I thought first that I could remove all the repeated words--"the," "perfect," and "tense" (but "tense" must be "tenses" if I drop one "the" in a sentence)--and make the sentence concise, as in the example a) Use the present and past perfect tenses.  However, now I have started to think that "perfect" had better not drop after the word "present" since it may not be an unnecessary word omitted (in order to prevent readers from misunderstanding that it is "present tense," not "present perfect").  Is my understanding correct??

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