Dominik92
Member
- Joined
- May 4, 2015
- Member Type
- Native Language
- Czech
- Home Country
- Czech Republic
- Current Location
- Czech Republic
Hello all
I got a following context and I am not sure whether...
Is this correct? If it was up to me I would use "it was the right thing to do" instead. What does "to have done" imply here, if it is correct though? I am suspicious it my not be 100% grammatically correct as a similar structure appeared to be incorrect in one of the older threads I started here - https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/i-was-really-stupid-to-follow-to-have-followed-my-mother´s-advice.239711/
I now see Piscean's posts disappeared/were deleted from the old thread so I can only provide you with his opinion by rewritting it -
Is "it was the right decision to have done/to do" similar to the "mistake" made here - I was really stupidto have followed to follow my mother's advice." as Parser (and Piscean - see above) mentions in his post 4 there?
I got a following context and I am not sure whether...
"My right knee has been bothering me for a little while. I hoped it would go away, but after an examination and discussion with my team, I decided to have arthroscopic surgery in Switzerland yesterday.
After the procedure, the doctors confirmed that it was the right thing to have done and are very confident of a full recovery."
Is this correct? If it was up to me I would use "it was the right thing to do" instead. What does "to have done" imply here, if it is correct though? I am suspicious it my not be 100% grammatically correct as a similar structure appeared to be incorrect in one of the older threads I started here - https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/i-was-really-stupid-to-follow-to-have-followed-my-mother´s-advice.239711/
I now see Piscean's posts disappeared/were deleted from the old thread so I can only provide you with his opinion by rewritting it -
Most native speakers imply not to worry about technicalities in a sentence such as yours. We have a similar situation with:
1. I would like to have gone.
2. I would have liked to go.
3. I would have liked to have gone.
In the first, the speaker expresses present regret about something they did not do in the past.
In the second, the speaker reports a past regret about something they were unable to do.
In the third, the speaker reports a past regret about something that did not do at an earlier past time.
However, many speakers use the third with the same meaning of the second. This "mistake" is very commonm and very few but pedants are bothered by it.
"To have followed is, I suppose, technically wrong. As with my example above few people will be bothered by it."
Is "it was the right decision to have done/to do" similar to the "mistake" made here - I was really stupid
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