Having been/Being shown a number of pictures to choose from, ...

[Adrianna95]

Hi everyone,

What is the difference between these two sentences:

1. Having been shown a number of pictures to choose from, the witness did not point at me.
2. Being shown a number of pictures to choose from, the witness did not point at me.

I find it hard to understand the difference in meaning between them two. Thanks in advance.

 

[5jj]

the witness did nit point at me

I have corrected this to 'not'.

 

[Rover_KE]

Where did you find those sentences, Adrianna95?

 

[Ms. Worth]

Hi everyone,

What is the difference between these two sentences:

1. Having been shown a number of pictures to choose from, the witness did not point at me.
2. Being shown a number of pictures to choose from, the witness did not point at me.

I find it hard to understand the difference in meaning between them two. Thanks in advance.

Hi, Adrianna ~

The two sentences are synonyms.
It's "writer's choice" which one to use.

Because of the phrase "Having been shown," the first sentence locates the event firmly in the past or past perfect.
The second sentence does not stress the past tense as much, as though the writer were thinking of the event in a rolling-along, on-going way.
As is usual in cases of usage and preference between close phrasing, the distinction is weak and elusive, evaporating when we try to analyze it.

As an aside, the sentence you wrote should say
> I find it hard to understand the difference in meaning between THESE (or THOSE) two.
The word THEM is not used as an adjective.
ALWAYS WRONG:
> Them boys better stop all that shouting.
> I hate seeing them streams filled with trash.
> I wonder where them cats have gone.
> What is the difference between them two?
ALWAYS CORRECT:
> Those boys better stop all that shouting.
> I hate seeing these streams filled with trash.
> I wonder where those cats have gone.
> What is the difference between those two?
CORRECT USE OF "THEM" -- as a pronoun
> The boys are shouting, so tell them (a pronoun for "boys") to be quiet.
> The streams are polluted with trash; let's clean them. (a pronoun for "streams")
> The cats are hiding, but I will find them. (a pronoun for "cats")
> What is the difference between them? (a pronoun for "boys")

I hope this was helpful.
Best wishes in your studies.

 

[Rover_KE]

Let’s wait for Adrianna to provide the source of these sentences before we speculate further.

 

[Adrianna95]

Good evening,

Thank you very much for your perfect explanation.

Those two sentences comes from my polish book for English grammar.

I am currently going trough the particle chapter.

The task was to translate two sentences from Polish to English.
I have modified one of them. The original sentence was:

2. (Being) shown his own picture, he couldn't recognize the person in it. He must have been completely drunk.

Answer key in my book translate the first part of those two sentences exactly the same. I didn't understand why.

Also, being is in bracket as according to my book 'being' in that case is optional.

So, can I use being shown and having been shown interchangeable ? And the meaning will be similar?

Regards,

Adrianna

 

[Barque]

So, can I use being shown and having been shown interchangeable ?

Often, yes. Not always.

1. Having been shown a number of pictures to choose from, the witness did not point at me.
2. Being shown a number of pictures to choose from, the witness did not point at me.

They mean more or less the same. They both sound unnatural to me, especially the second.

Shown a number of pictures to choose from, the witness didn't identify me from any/the witness didn't point at mine.

I'd put it differently: The witness was shown a number of pictures to choose from, and he didn't point at mine.

 

[5jj]

Those two sentences comes from my Polish book for English grammar.

Please give the title of the book and the name of the author.

 

[Adrianna95]

Preston Publishing ' Angielski dla Orlow'