past simple followed by the present perfect

[ostap77]

"We had the Parliamentary Elections. There hasn't been a level playing ground for all political parties. Pro-presidential candidates have been given preferential treatment and have been trying to rig the ballot."

Could I start with the past simple and go on with the present perfect?

 

[bhaisahab]

"We had the Parliamentary Elections. There hasn't been a level playing ground for all political parties. Pro-presidential candidates have been given preferential treatment and have been trying to rig the ballot."

Could I start with the past simple and go on with the present perfect?

No.

 

[ostap77]

How about this "While we had the Parliamentary Elections, there hasn't been a level playing ground for all political parties. Pro-presidential candidates have been given preferential treatment and have been trying to rig the ballot."?

 

[5jj]

No

 

[ostap77]

Can you please point to the mistakes in the previous post?

"While we had the Parliamentary Elections, there hasn't been a level playing ground for all political parties where pro-presidential candidates were given preferential treatment and were trying to rig the ballot."?

 

[5jj]

Can you please point to the mistakes in the previous post?

"While we had the Parliamentary Elections, there hasn't been a level playing ground for all political parties where pro-presidential candidates were given preferential treatment and were trying to rig the ballot."?

It's just a mixed up sentence. Were you trying to say, "When we had/were having the parliamentary elections, there wasn't a level playing field for all political parties. Pro presidential candidates were given preferential treatment and were trying to rig the ballot."?

 

[ostap77]

Yes. That's what I was tryingto say. Could I throw in the present perfect to emphasize there wasn't a level playing ground for all political parties?

"While we had the parliamentary elections, there hasn't been a level playing field for all political parties. Pro presidential candidates were given preferential treatment and were trying to rig the ballot"?

The reason I'm asking is that I was just reading an article on Ukraine sliding away from democracy in The Washington Post while I came across the sentence "While election day was largely peaceful, there have been allegations of fraud in the voting process and tabulation".

 

[ostap77]

Would that be so difficult for an native speaker to put an aswer to the quesion?

 

[5jj]

Would that be so difficult for an native speaker to put an aswer to the quesion?

Faced with that sort of attitude, yes.

 

[ostap77]

I'm not getting it! Could I get an answer?

 

[bhaisahab]

I'm not getting it! Could I get an answer?

You might, if you were more polite.

 

[ostap77]

I'm just guessing you've been avoiding the answer?

 

[bhaisahab]

I'm just guessing you've been avoiding the answer?

Guess away, my friend, guess away.

 

[ostap77]

Can you please give a clear answer? Is it so difficult to give an aswer to the question in post #?

 

[bhaisahab]

Can you please give a clear answer?

I'm sorry but, in view of your attitude, I don't feel inclined to give you any more answers. I'm sure someone will oblige.

 

[ostap77]

There've been people inclined not to be most comfortable about giving an aswer?

 

[Raymott]

The fact that there wasn't a level playing field occurred during the elections, not after them. It's in the past.
In the Washington Post example, the allegations occurred after the elections and are possibly still ongoing.
So, the examples are different.

 

[ostap77]

I guess "while" in the above sentence wouldn't refer to something happening prior the elections. It would sooner refer to simultanious action as in "While electionday......, there's been....."

 

[ostap77]

" Not to mention that former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko and Yuri Lutsenko, two prominent opposition political leaders, have been imprisoned following trials that were widely criticized as politically motivated. While election day was largely peaceful, there have been allegations of fraud in the voting process and tabulation."

I guess "while" would be refering to simultaneous action in the past? It doesn't say that allegations were after election day.

 

[bhaisahab]

" Not to mention that former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko and Yuri Lutsenko, two prominent opposition political leaders, have been imprisoned following trials that were widely criticized as politically motivated. While election day was largely peaceful, there have been allegations of fraud in the voting process and tabulation."

I guess "while" would be referring to simultaneous action in the past? It doesn't say that allegations were after election day.

while conjunction (ALTHOUGH) - definition in British English Dictionary & Thesaurus - Cambridge Dictionary Online