<p>In a sentence that contains "during," is it possible to have a present perfect tense?
I always felt that "during" should be used with a past tense (I guess past perfect is okay.)</p>
<p>For example,</p>
<p>I have been to the Islands during the summer vacation.</p>
<p>Or</p>
<p>I went to the Islands during the summer vacation.</p>
<p>Or</p>
<p>I had been to the Islands during the summer vacation (of 1996).</p>
<p>It is a tidbit in SAT grammar, but I am sure that one question regarding this issue was in the recent Internaitonal SAT.
Please note that you are considered an "Expert" if you answer this post ! :)</p>
<p>Thanx in advance.</p>
<p>All three are correct in my opinion. “I go to the Islands during the summer vacation” is also correct.</p>
<p>During summer vacation is only a prepositional phrase. The setences “I have been to the Islands” makes sense by itself. The addition of the prepositional phrase shouldn’t make the sentence invalid.</p>
<p>Another approach that you can use is think about a time line. Summer vacation could have happened in all tenses.</p>
<p>I’m not really a grammar expert so I feel weird replying…</p>
<p>hehe it’s okay. Well, that makes me wonder if I got one question wrong on WR.
:P</p>
<p>Thanx. Anybody else?</p>
<p>During the recent revolution, people had come to unite under one purpose - freedom and democracy.</p>
<p>Every year, during winter, I go skiing. </p>
<p>Those are the only two possible verb tenses, that I feel appropriate with ‘during’. I don’t really think the past tense would work with ‘during’, but free to prove me wrong.</p>
<p>If it’s clear that the period delineated by “during” has come and gone and if the action is one that was ongoing during the period, then the past perfect is the correct tense. The clarity often depends on the context either within the sentence or possibly through some preceding sentence.</p>
<p>The action of going (in your “went” example) is typically not an ongoing action and for this the past perfect may not make sense. You typically “go” or “fly” once to the Islands. There isn’t enough context in the sentence to decide what is correct. Perhaps you commuted daily to the Islands from the mainland.</p>
<p>Present perfect can be used for past actions <em>without a specified time</em>. You can say “I have been to France” but not “I have been to France last year”. Compare “I have seen the movie Inception”, “I have seen the movie Inception last weekend”, “I saw the movie Inception”, and “I saw the movie Inception last weekend”.</p>
<p>Wow thanx guys 
A lot of discussion going on here just b/c of my petty question hehe</p>
<p>well</p>
<p>@fogcity,
so you are saying that for my “went” example, either a present tense or a past tense would make sense depending on the situation, right? (because it is an action that “has come and gone” as you said)
And you are saying that if it is an “ongoing action” than a past perfect can be used with “during” as well…?</p>
<p>To your last question … well maybe. My sense is that in the situation you suggest that “during” is rarely the right word. To me, it somehow suggests come and gone.</p>
<p>um… ok… </p>
<p>You know what, I think that maybe you’re right in saying that past and present tenses are the only tenses that make sense when used with “during.”
In hindsight, past perfect would seem wierd:</p>
<p>He had eaten during Chemistry class. :P</p>
<p>thanx</p>
<p>Past perfect with “during” is fine, provided you have a simple past time reference as well:</p>
<p>Although he had eaten during Chemistry class, Garfield gobbled down two servings of lasagna at lunch.</p>
<p>aha… ! that makes sense as well;</p>
<p>marvin100 you are pretty smart lol thanx</p>
<p>I’ve been an SAT tutor or something like that since 1989. Not so smart, just experienced :)</p>
<p>^ Would you be able to pull a 2400 on the SAT, then? :)</p>
<p>I’d definitely miss some math q’s, honestly.</p>