<p>When would you tell when you would have to use a specific past tense? </p>
<p>For example: </p>
<p>"The first woman in the United States to be granted a patent was Mary Dixon Kies." </p>
<p>Why would this be correct? And why would "to have been granted" be inappropriate there. </p>
<p>And in what cases would you use "have + verb" instead of just the past tense verb?</p>
<p>Also another example to help illustrate my troubles: </p>
<p>"Although Africa's forest elephants and savanna elephants were one thought to belong to the same species..."</p>
<p>A test I'm taking says that this is correct. Why wouldn't to be "thought to have belonged?"</p>
<p>It’s because they are past perfects. They are only necessary in specific incidences, none of which were described above. I can’t think of an example right now though, sorry.</p>
<p>-------------------------------------------If it is to be, it is up to me…</p>
<p>Past perfect is used for something that occurred before another action in the past. </p>
<p>Ex: I had never seen such a beautiful beach before I went to Kauai.</p>
<p>Though, looking again, the present perfect is more fitting for these sentences. Present Perfect is used to talk about an action at an unspecified time before now. I recommend you look here to see all of it’s uses <a href=“http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfect.html[/url] ”>http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfect.html</a></p> ;
<p>I would write a really long explanation of present/past perfects, but why should I? There are many resources available that explain these concepts extremely well.</p>
<p>I will add that
<p>This is what silverturtle said in his guide:
silverturtle:
Present perfect: The present perfect tense is used when a past action affects the present. since is often a trigger for the present perfect tense. The present perfect tense can indicate that an action occurs in the present as well as in the past (e.g., Since birth, I have lived here). Also, it can refer to a completed action if the writer or speaker wishes to emphasize the past action’s effect on the present (e.g., I have just completed my book).</p>
<p>Past perfect: The past perfect tense is used to refer a past action that occurred before another referenced past action. by often signals the past perfect tense (e.g., By the time we arrived, Bob had left). When a prepositional phrase already indicates that an action came before another action, the simple past may be used instead of the past perfect (e.g., Before we left, I went to the bathroom) or Before we left, I had gone to the bathroom).
</p>
<p>[ENGLISH</a> PAGE - Present Perfect](<a href=“http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfect.html]ENGLISH ”>Present Perfect Tense | ENGLISH PAGE )http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/pastperfect.html]ENGLISH ”>Past Perfect Tense | ENGLISH PAGE )