To have

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Anonymous

#165696 Sat, 03 Dec 05 02:58 PM

Could you please tell me whether the following sentence is fine?
Would you use the words 'to have' ?

THE first man to have climbed the Everest is Sir Edmund Hillary.

Anonymous

Vorpar

#165710 Sat, 03 Dec 05 03:38 PM

Using "have" that way tends to make sentences passive. I would use the following:

The first man to climb Mount Everest is Sir Edmund Hillary.

Vorpar

Joined on Tue, Sep 20 2005

Santa Barbara, CA

Regular Member (813)

CalifJim

#165919 Sun, 04 Dec 05 07:22 AM

'perfect', not 'passive'!
The auxiliary for the passive is "to be"; for the perfect it's "to have".
Smile [:)]

CalifJim

Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004

California

Veteran Member (16,975)

"There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche

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Diamondrg

#165980 Sun, 04 Dec 05 12:39 PM

so Califjim. what's your answer? is the first man to have climbed the Everest ... possible? if yes, what is the difference in meaning?

Diamondrg

Joined on Fri, Dec 2 2005

Turkey

Contributing Member (1,041)

CalifJim

#166275 Mon, 05 Dec 05 03:05 AM

It's "Everest" or "Mount Everest", not "the Everest".

"first man to climb Everest" and "first man to have climbed Everest" are both correct grammatically, and they both mean the same thing. Speakers will differ as to whether they believe there is some slight difference in meaning. "to have climbed" has slightly more emphasis on the accomplishment, even the pride of such an accomplishment, in my opinion. But the difference is nearly insignificant.

"first man to climb" has the advantage of being less wordy, more direct. I would personally use "to climb" because I see no particular reason to use the alternate form.

CJ

CalifJim

Clive

#166288 Mon, 05 Dec 05 03:45 AM

Hi guys,

As Jim says, different people may see slight differences here.

Hillary climbed Everest in 1953.

He is the first man to climb Everest. I'd certainly have said this in 1954.

He is the first man to have climbed Everest. I think I'd say this now, in 2005. It seems to plant the achievement more clearly in the past. Or alternatively, I might say 'He was the first man to climb Everest.'

Best wishes, Clive

Clive

Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004

Canada

Veteran Member (21,191)

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

Kilimanjaro

#166462 Mon, 05 Dec 05 01:28 PM

Clive wrote:

He is the first man to climb Everest. I'd certainly have said this in 1954.

Isn't this a bit redolent of future reference, in that it may come to mean a fixed plan to be implemented ahead, regarding the subject "He" doesn't necessarily refer to Edmond Hillary? One can possibily conclude equivocal connotations. am I wrong?

Kilimanjaro

Joined on Sat, Dec 3 2005

İzmir

Full Member (273)

Clive

#166482 Mon, 05 Dec 05 01:55 PM

Hi,

But if it were the future, would you not say something like this?

He hopes to be the first man to climb Everest.

or He is the first man to attempt to climb Everest.

Best wishes, Clive

Clive

Kilimanjaro

#166486 Mon, 05 Dec 05 02:03 PM

Clive wrote:

Hi,

But if it were the future, would you not say something like this?

He hopes to be the first man to climb Everest.

or He is the first man to attempt to climb Everest.

Best wishes, Clive

Hi Clive,

By the way,I'm a newcomer in the forum.

the sentence when it stands alone is confusing,though, with a context like the one you give it sounds more plausible Clive.

Kilimanjaro

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