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  1. #1
    moncsa001 is offline Junior Member
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    Question wich sentence is correct?

    How long has your car been out of order? (present perfect) Or
    How long had your car been out of order? (past perfect)

    such as: My friend and I friend are talking. My friend say :I had my car repaired. It's working now. I ask: How long have/ had your car been out of order? My friend: It has/had been out of order for two weeks
    Last edited by moncsa001; 20-Dec-2011 at 22:56.

  2. #2
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    5jj is online now Moderator
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    Default Re: wich sentence is correct?

    Quote Originally Posted by moncsa001 View Post
    How long have has your car been out of order? (present perfect) Or
    How long had your car been out of order? (past perfect)

    such as: My friend and I friend are talking. My friend says :I had my car repaired. It's working now. I ask: How long have/ had your car been out of order? My friend replies: It has/had been out of order for two weeks
    That particular paragraph is better thus:

    My friend and I were talking. My friend said, "I (have) had my car repaired. It's working now". I asked, "How long was your car out of order?" (or:" How long had your car been out of order") " My friend replied, " It was (or: "had been") out of order for two weeks".

    Actually, I don't particularly like 'out of order', but I can't at the moment think of anything better.
    Context is always important; labelling is rarely important.


  3. #3
    moncsa001 is offline Junior Member
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    Default Re: wich sentence is correct?

    I would like to say it in present. My friend and I are talking now. Not in the past. Not we were talking.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: wich sentence is correct?

    My friend and I are talking. My friend says, "I (have) had my car repaired. It's working now". I ask, "How long was your car out of order?" (or:" How long had your car been out of order") " My friend replies, " It was (or: "had been") out of order for two weeks".
    Context is always important; labelling is rarely important.


  5. #5
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    Default Re: wich sentence is correct?

    Quote Originally Posted by moncsa001 View Post
    I would like to say it in present. My friend and I are talking now. Not in the past. Not we were talking.
    Yes, but the car is no longer "out of order".

  6. #6
    moncsa001 is offline Junior Member
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    Default Re: wich sentence is correct?

    Thank you!

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