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Perfect or simple? Past and future?

 
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howtowhyis



Joined: 18 Jun 2006
Posts: 32

PostPosted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:40 am    Post subject: Perfect or simple? Past and future? Reply with quote

One year before the attack it was found that the possibility of three buildings would have been attacked by terrorists.

One year before the attack it was found that the possibility of three buildings will be attacked by terrorists.

One year before the attack it had been found that the possibility of three buildings will be attacked by terrorists.

One year before the attack it had been found that the possibility of three buildings would had been attacked by terrorists.

What is the correct way of writing this sentence and why?

Confused when speaking about the past that had or have happened.



Confused
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CP



Joined: 12 Jun 2006
Posts: 2875
Location: California

PostPosted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 10:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry, but all these sentences are improper because they all have "that the possibility of three buildings" in them.

I would write it this way:

"It was known a year beforehand that three buildings might be attacked by terroists."

Or:

"It was found that it had already been known, a year beforehand, that three buildings might be attacked by terrorists."

The sequences of tenses can be gleaned by this example:

I know that the building may be / will be attacked.
I knew that the building might be / would be attacked.
I had known earlier that the building might be / might have been / would be / would have been attacked.
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