http://www.englishforums.com/English/EslGeneralEnglishGrammar-Questions/Forum12.htmAsk your questions on grammar and get your sentence checked. We answer lots of different types of general English grammar questions here. <font color=red>DO NOT post paragraphs and compositions here. Post them in our <a href="http://www.englishforums.com/English/EssayReportCompositionWriting/Forum9.htm"><b>Essay, Report and Composition Writing Forum</b></a>.</font>enXMOD (Build: 3616.28671)http://www.englishforums.com/English/HaveToHaveBeenHadToBe/bwqjk/post.htm#128376Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:31:31 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:128376MrPedantic0http://www.englishforums.com/English/HaveToHaveBeenHadToBe/bwqjk/post.htm#128376http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-128376.xmlLet us know if it's still unclear, Candy!http://www.englishforums.com/English/HaveToHaveBeenHadToBe/bwqjk/post.htm#128270Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:31:31 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:128270candy1http://www.englishforums.com/English/HaveToHaveBeenHadToBe/bwqjk/post.htm#128270http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-128270.xmlHello, Many thanks for answering my question. It has to have been just right. Actually I found this sentence in an interview. Here's the context with the original sentence; ".................because so many things have to come together for that to work. The voice has to have been just right ; the lip sync just right; the puppeteer turns the head just right, and the people doing the hand, everything just happened just right. ......" - by Trey Parker, the director of "Team America" When I read this, I felt a little strange. The sentence looked grammatically correct, but it didn't make sense to me. I couldn't understnad why he didn't say "the voice had to be just right." I'm still a little...http://www.englishforums.com/English/HaveToHaveBeenHadToBe/bwqjk/post.htm#127724Thu, 26 Mar 2009 09:31:31 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:127724rvw2http://www.englishforums.com/English/HaveToHaveBeenHadToBe/bwqjk/post.htm#127724http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-127724.xmlHave has many meanings as a transitive verb and two usages as a verbal auxiliary. Transitive verb: -I have a car. -He had three sons. -He had his opponent cornered. -I have a letter to write. He had a concert to conduct. --- Webster's Third New International Dictionary Verbal auxiliary 1: -(to be in a position or state marked by an action or state completed or ended or virtually completed or ended -- used with the past participle to form the present perfect, past perfect, or future perfect ) --- Webster's Third New International Dictionary Verbal auxiliary 2: -to be compelled or under obligation or necessity -- used with the infinitive with to --- Webster's Third New International Dictionary...http://www.englishforums.com/English/HaveToHaveBeenHadToBe/bwqjk/post.htm#127721Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:31:31 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:127721paco20043http://www.englishforums.com/English/HaveToHaveBeenHadToBe/bwqjk/post.htm#127721http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-127721.xmlI take the difference like this: When I was a student, Mr Bush told us we were all descendants of Adam and Eve. At that time I thought that he had to be right, because he was our teacher. When I was a student, Mrs Clinton told us we were all descendants of monkeys. I didn't believe her at that time, but now I feel she has to have been right . Maybe we usually use "must" instead of "has to" in pacohttp://www.englishforums.com/English/HaveToHaveBeenHadToBe/bwqjk/post.htm#127713Tue, 26 May 2009 08:31:31 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:127713MrPedantic4http://www.englishforums.com/English/HaveToHaveBeenHadToBe/bwqjk/post.htm#127713http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-127713.xmlHello Candy 1. It is necessary now that X was right. 2. It was necessary then that X was right. The first is a rather rare construction. MrPhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/HaveToHaveBeenHadToBe/bwqjk/post.htm#127702Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:31:31 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:127702K.O.5http://www.englishforums.com/English/HaveToHaveBeenHadToBe/bwqjk/post.htm#127702http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-127702.xmlHi, I agree candy that it is a bit confusing not that I met the first one before but still it seems correct. so, anybody can tell the difference? thankshttp://www.englishforums.com/English/HaveToHaveBeenHadToBe/bwqjk/post.htmMon, 26 Jan 2009 09:31:31 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:127612candy6http://www.englishforums.com/English/HaveToHaveBeenHadToBe/bwqjk/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-127612.xmlI'm really confused...... :-S Could you please explain the difference between the two for me? 1. It has to have been just right. 2. It had to be just right. Many , many thanks in advance. Candy