Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[elinor]

Mother's Day was approaching. One day, Father told me that he would give Mother a big surprise which she has never had. I didn't exactly know what his plan was, but I was expecting the day to come soon.


Should it necessarily change the verb "has" in the sentence "she has never had" into the verb "had"? Or is either acceptable?


Thanks.

[CP]

I would write it, "One day, Father told me that he would give Mother a big surprise such as she had never had."
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[elinor]

Thank you, CP.

But isn't "such as" referred to "for example"?
Would you explain more? Thanks.


http://www.answers.com/such%20as

[CP]

Not in this context. Here, "such as" means "the like of which" "of such a kind" or something like that:

"One day, Father told me that he would give Mother a big surprise such as she had never had" = "One day, Father told me that he would give Mother a big surprise of a kind that she had never had before."
_________________
You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[elinor]

Thanks a lot.