neede to do vs needed to have done

[Barb_D]

Perhaps this phrase is slowly making its way into the vocabulary, but I'm with the others who say it should be "in the very near future." For now, I suggest that you don't emulate this use.

 

[White Hat]

Thanks for clarifying it. Knowledge is something one should take in humbly. In the end, all that matters is speaking the language the right way.

 

[BobSmith]

It's a new one to my AmE ears.

 

[White Hat]

It's a new one to my AmE ears.

These are from the US:

Iolanta & John Smith, LA, CA: "This is the house of the future. Everybody will get homes like this, and we are going to get one in the nearest future!"

Furthermore, maybe in the nearest future hydroponic systems, which have already been tested in space on the space stations, will even become another valuable step in the space exploration by the humans.

Here's one from New Zealand:

"We are looking for people, like you, who may wish to be a part of the next phase of theWeddingGuy's development. In the nearest future we will be franchising theWeddingGuy concept across New Zealand and Australia."

 

[BobSmith]

FWIW, google says:

"in the near future" - 337,000,000 results
"in the nearest future" - 7,570,000 results

 

[White Hat]

What about this guy here? Neil Smith, a singer born in New Jersey. One of his albums is called The Nearest Future.

In general, it seems like this phrase is incorrect. Perhaps because there is just ONE future - not several ones. However, who knows...?

 

[BobSmith]

Perhaps because there is just ONE future - not several ones. However, who knows...?

If there was only one future, you wouldn't have to qualify it with "near". Then there is also

"in the far future" - 14,000,000 results
vs.
"in the distant future" - 11,800,000 results

Why not:

"in the farthest future" - 15,100 results
"in the furthest future" - 10,400 results

 

[White Hat]

If there was only one future, you wouldn't have to qualify it with "near". Then there is also

"in the far future" - 14,000,000 results
vs.
"in the distant future" - 11,800,000 results

I mean if we are considering three possible "futures" on a continuum relatively to a point positioned in the very beginning, won't the future closest to the point be the nearest future? All in all, I'm just curious WHY we can't apply -est to the word near in the word combination in question? Is that a set phrase and that's that?

 

[ostap77]

You've all been off-track. Am I never ever going to get an answer to what I've asked about throught thid thread?

 

[Raymott]

A) Did you do your homework you needed to do for today's class?

B) Did you do your homework you needed to have done for today's class?

1)What would be the difference in meaning between the two sentences?

There's no difference in meaning. If you needed to do something for today's class then you needed to have it done for today's class (and vice versa).

 

[White Hat]

There's no difference in meaning. If you needed to do something for today's class then you needed to have it done for today's class (and vice versa).

Which more or less echoes the thought expressed in Post 5.

 

[Raymott]

Which more or less echoes the thought expressed in Post 5.

Indeed, more or less.