[Grammar] infamous for serving/having served

[Isobela]

Dear teachers,

I am suddenly a bit confused about which tense should be used in the sentence below:

The place is infamous for serving/having served as a ghetto during WWII.

What is the correct usage and why?

Thanks very much!

 

[bhaisahab]

They are both correct.

 

[Isobela]

Thank you. But is there any difference between them? Or do they mean the same?

 

[Tarheel]

Do you have some context for that sentence?

 

[Isobela]

The whole sentence goes "The place is infamous for serving/having served as a ghetto for Jews during WWII before they were deported to concentration camps in Poland within the “Final Solution of the Jewish Question”." Personally, I think "having served" should be used, because it no longer serves as a ghetto - obviously... What do you think? Thank you!

 

[Tarheel]

You can still use either serving or having served. (I don't think ghetto is the right word there, however.)

 

[Isobela]

Thanks Tarheel, ghetto is what it is officially called. But does not "serving" imply that the action still continues?

 

[Tarheel]

The sentence clearly says it happened before WWII. (It didn't serve as a ghetto. It simply was a ghetto.)