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eagerness  #534993  Tue, 01 Jul 08 06:31 AM
Can anyone please tell me which one of the two sentences below is grammatically correct, and why? I am still confused as to which tense to use, the present perfect or the perfect past tense.
"A friend of mine has sent me an e-mail asking why I haven't yet sent him a wedding invitation." or
"A fried of mine has sent me an e-mail asking why I hadn't yet sent him a wedding invitation."

Thank you in advance for your help in clarifying this dilemma for me.
  
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CalifJim  #535019  Tue, 01 Jul 08 08:54 AM
Welcome to English Forums!

Use either one.

A friend of mine has sent me an e-mail asking why I haven't yet sent him a wedding invitation.

haven't sent an invitation lasts all the way to the present moment.  It's from your point of view.  You haven't sent the invitation yet.

___ 

A friend of mine has sent me an e-mail asking why I hadn't yet sent him a wedding invitation.

hadn't sent an invitation lasts only until your friend sent you the e-mail.  It's from his point of view.  You hadn't sent the invitation by the time he wrote to you. 

CJ 

 

  
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eagerness  #535229  Tue, 01 Jul 08 05:08 PM
Thank you so much CJ.
  
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