[Grammar] have difficulty remembering

[contiluo]

I’m a bit confused by the use of the following sentence pattern:

I sometimes have trouble remembering ______________________________.

1. whether I did my homework or not
2. whether I do my homework or not
3. whether I have done my homework or not
4. whether I took my medicine or not
5. whether I locked the door of my house or not as I went out

In the noun clause, should its verb tense use simple present, simple past, or present perfect tense?

 

[Rover_KE]

.... and they all need a final punctuation mark.

 

[teechar]

I agree with Piscean that context is important. The present simple would be possible in, for example, the following sentence.

I sometimes have trouble remembering whether Jenny lives in that building or not.

 

[contiluo]

I also get confused by similar questions as follows. Are the sentences below possible or acceptable?

1. I sometimes have trouble remembering what I should do next.
2. I sometimes have trouble remembering to bring my homework home.
3. I sometimes have trouble remembering if I brought my homework to school.

1. In my opinion, #1 should be corrected as:
   I sometimes have trouble knowing what I should do next.
2. In #2, it implies that I often forget to bring my homework home, including past, now, and even in the future.
3. In #3, it implies that I only forgot to bring my homework to school in the past.

Are my points above correct?

 

[tedmc]

In No. 1, "remembering" is more natural than "knowing".
No. 3 happens habitually, not just in the past. It is about recalling what one has done earlier.

 

[Tarheel]

I also get confused by similar questions as follows. Are the sentences below possible or acceptable?

1. I sometimes have trouble remembering what I should do next.
2. I sometimes have trouble remembering to bring my homework home.
3. I sometimes have trouble remembering if I brought my homework to school.

1. In my opinion, #1 should be corrected as:
   I sometimes have trouble knowing what I should do next.
2. In #2, it implies that I often forget to bring my homework home, including past, now, and even in the future.
3. In #3, it implies that I only forgot to bring my homework to school in the past.

Are my points above correct?

The first one should be corrected as:

Sometimes I have trouble knowing what to do next (as you said)

Or:

Sometimes I have trouble deciding what to do next.

 

[Tarheel]

Do you sometimes do your homework and forget to take it to school?