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Thread: ...but I have/had to work instead.

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    birgit33 is offline Member
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    Default ...but I have/had to work instead.

    "I would have studied English if I had gone to school, but I have/had to work instead." Are both "have" and "had" correct tenses in this sentence ?

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    5jj
    5jj is online now Moderator
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    Default Re: ...but I have/had to work instead.

    As the working, i.e. going out to work took place at the time s/he would have liked to be at school, the speaker is talking about the past, so 'had to' is the natural one to choose.
    bhaisahab likes this.
    Context is always important; labelling is rarely important.


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