[Grammar] having been + present participle

[sebayanpendam]

Hi,

Is the sentence construction below correct?

'Having been helping out their parents often with the farm in their villages since childhood gives them the farming experience.'

Thanks

 

[GoesStation]

No. Try a shorter, simpler sentence.

 

[Raymott]

"Having been helping for 24 hours, he's thoroughly exhausted." That's grammatical, but almost no one would say it.
"He's been helping for 24 hours and he's thoroughly exhausted."

 

[AussieLexie]

Hi,

Is the sentence construction below correct?

'Having been helping out their parents often with the farm in their villages since childhood gives them the farming experience.'

Thanks

It looks like you were attempting to use the passive gerund at the beginning of your sentence. The construction of the passive gerund is ‘having been + past participle’ (‘Having been helped’) but it won’t work in your sentence.

You could try starting your sentence at the word ‘Helping’ and then changing ‘gives’ from the present tense to present perfect.

Good luck.

 

[Raymott]

It looks like you were attempting to use the passive gerund at the beginning of your sentence. The construction of the passive gerund is ‘having been + past participle’ (‘Having been helped’) but it won’t work in your sentence.

I still say that "Having been helping..." is grammatically correct in the context I've given, and that the OP is not trying to use "Having been helped".

 

[AussieLexie]

I still say that "Having been helping..." is grammatically correct in the context I've given, and that the OP is not trying to use "Having been helped".

But aren't we talking about the context given by sebayanpendam?

 

[AussieLexie]

Having been helping was grammatically possible in that context, though not a form likely to be used by many native speakers. There is no indication at all that sebayanpendam was attempting to use a passive construction.

Actually, to me, there was an indication that sebayanpendam might have been attempting to use the passive gerund and I have responded accordingly.

 

[teechar]

Let's see what the OP has to say about that.
Sebayanpendam, would you care to comment please?

 

[AussieLexie]

Let's see what the OP has to say about that.
Sebayanpendam, would you care to comment please?

Yes, it would be interesting to hear more from Sebayanpendam. However, regardless of the OP's actual intended usage, my original response remains valid.

 

[sebayanpendam]

Hi,

Actually, I was trying to use 'Having been verb+ing' construction. First, I wanted to write 'Their childhood experience helping out their parents with the farm gave them farming experience. But the word experience appears twice in the same sentence and, sentence sounds awkward. Then, If I wanted to write 'Helping their parents on a farm in their villages (different individuals) gives them farming experience', but all of them have grown up and have their farm. I cannot put in the words 'since childhood' in at all.

Thanks