I really don’t know what I did wrong or what I was or wasn’t supposed <to have done> vs <to do> in that situation.

Tony_M

Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2024
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Ukrainian
Home Country
Ukraine
Current Location
Ukraine
The dialogue is mine.

A - Last week on Tuesday, I had a video call with Maria.
B - Cool I haven’t seen her for ages. How is she?
A - I don’t know. By the looks of things, she wasn’t in a good mood and asked me to sit with her in complete silence for some time. It really looked like a session with a psychologist. After 40 minutes of sitting, she said goodbye and left the conversation. I tried to call her a few times on Wednesday and Thursday, but she didn’t answer. I really don’t know what I did wrong or what I was or wasn’t supposed to have done in that situation.
B - Bizarre behavior has always been Maria’s element. But it looks like she’s taken it to a whole new level.
A - Yes, she can be strange at times, but I really don't know what she expected me to have done in that conversation.

Is it grammatically correct to use the constructions in bold in this context?
What would be the difference between Perfect Infinitive and Simple Infinitive?
 
I wrote the following dialogue. is mine.

Anna - Last week on Tuesday, I had a video call with Maria.
Ben - Cool! I haven’t seen her for ages. How is she?
Anna - I don’t know. By the looks of things, She wasn’t in a good mood and asked me to sit with her in complete silence. for some time It really looked felt like a session with a psychologist. After 40 minutes of sitting silence, she said goodbye and left the conversation disconnected [the call]. I tried to call her a few times on Wednesday and Thursday, but she didn’t answer. I really don’t know what I did wrong or what I was or wasn’t supposed to have done do in that situation.
Ben - Bizarre behavior has always been Maria’s element. Maria's behaviour has always been bizarre but it looks like she’s taken it to a whole new level.
Anna - Yes, she can be strange at times, but I really don't know what she expected me to have done do in that conversation.

Is it grammatically correct to use the constructions in bold in this context?
What would be the difference between the perfect infinitive and the simple infinitive?
Note my corrections above. Using the base infinitive is the most natural in both sentences.

I think it's a stretch to call that a conversation! A silent video call? I call that a waste of 40 minutes.
 
Using 'have done' would shift back to a time before the call, so no it's not right. You have to use 'do'.
 
Did my answer really make you sad, Tony_M? Do you want to talk about it?
 

Ask a Teacher

If you have a question about the English language and would like to ask one of our many English teachers and language experts, please click the button below to let us know:

(Requires Registration)
Back
Top