[john kenter]

Hi, guys. I'd like to ask you a question related to usage of having+past participle, particularly two sentences I have found in a British publication.

The first one is " Having come tantalisingly close to taking off, Brazil has stalled."

My question is would the meaning of this sentence still the same if I changed it to having come tantalisingly close to taking off, Brazil stalled? Could you tell me the difference of the two sentences?

Another one" Having taught university students in global affairs, I happened to have several old papers in a drawer."


My question is would it be okay to write like this: having taught university students in global affairs, I have happened to have several old papers in a drawer? Could you explain it for me?

I'd be grateful if you could help me figure this out. Thank you.

All the best.

[Bazza6]

FROM MBK:

To explain why your first alternative, “Brazil stalled”, is not possible, I need to contrast the information the Present Perfect verb, and Past Tense verb, give to the meaning in a sentence.
Take this sentence:
He died.
When did this happen? Without a time phrase (e.g. yesterday, or, 6 months ago, or, in 1564), all we know is that this event happened prior to NOW, the moment of speaking the words in the sentence – that is, the past. Pictorially, it is:

………….|………….NOW……..
where | = the event of this death some time in the past.

This sentence:
My aunt has died, so I need to take a day off work to attend her funeral.
The Present Perfect Tense is anchored in NOW, the moment of speaking this sentence; and looks back…looks back over a PERIOD of time; to a POINT in time (specified or not) when some event took place.
Pictorially, it is:

………..|D<…<..has<..died…<.<|NOW…..
where NOW = the moment of speaking
D = death of my aunt
So “has died” = the period of time stretching back from NOW, back to the moment of her death.
When we relate this to your sentences, we see that
“has stalled” tells us of the state of economic growth as of RIGHT NOW in Brazil; whereas ‘stalled’ refers to an event in the past unconnected with NOW. We have “having been trying…” telling us of a period of time that relates to NOW, followed by a verb that refers to some event that could be months ago, a year ago, or last century! The two verb forms are incompatible.

When I have an acknowledgement that you have read this, I will go over your second sentence.