What is the meaning of sentence below:
"“We must build you up while we’ve got the chance"
We must build you up (used present tense)
We have got the chance (present perfect)
What change will occur if I change the sentence to :
"“We must have build you up while we’ve got the chance"
Thank you.
gray olive 661What change will occur if I change the sentence to :
"“We must have build you up while we’ve got the chance"
The sentence becomes ungrammatical.
If you want a situation in the past (completed). Modal perfect ... past perfect.)
We must have built you up while we had the chance.
gray olive 661We must build you up while we’ve got the chance.
we've got = we have got = we have
"have got" is the present perfect of "get" in form, but it is used idiomatically with present-tense meaning.
I've got = I have;
he's got = he has;
they've got = they have;
etc.
As an idiom for 'have', 'have got' is very rarely inflected for tense. Thus, the past tense of 'have got' is just 'had'. You will rarely see "had got" as the past of "had got" (though it is theoretically possible). The present perfect 'have had got' is out of the question. You'll never see or hear it.
The 'must' of obligation has no past tense, so 'had (to)' is used for its past.
We must leave immediately. > We had to leave immediately.
So the correct past tense of your sentence is
We had to build you up while we had the chance.
CJ
Students: We have free audio pronunciation exercises.
gray olive 661What is the meaning of sentence below:
We must build you up while we’ve got the chance.
There's not enough context to be sure. "build you up" might be physical, and then it might have to do with doing exercises to increase muscle mass. Or "build you up" might be psychological, and then it might have to do with encouraging and praising someone so that they become more confident.
"we must" is "we have to", "we have an obligation to"
"while we've got the chance" is "at this time, when we have the opportunity to do this".
CJ