Not having the time

[JEic]

I wonder if there is any grammar difference in:

(a) I regret not having the time to participate in that project.

(b) I regret not having had the time to participate in that project.

 

[stanislaw.masny]

I don't see much of a difference, but I'm not a native speaker or a language purist. For me, it means:
I regret that I did not have time to participate in this project.

 

[Tarheel]

@JEic Do you intend for both to be past tense?

Try:

I'm sorry I couldn't do it, but I just didn't have the time

 

[jutfrank]

Of course there's a grammar difference. That's the whole point of you asking the question. You mean to ask what the difference in meaning between the two grammatical forms is.

(a) I regret not having the time to participate in that project.

= possible present/future meaning

(b) I regret not having had the time to participate in that project.

= past meaning