In this article, we will explain the correct usage of ‘has’ and ‘had’ in the sentence: ‘The meeting ____ been delayed until the woman has come.’ We will also explore the reasoning behind the correct choice of verb tense.
Understanding the Sentence Structure
The sentence provided is in the context of an event that has been delayed. It involves two key actions: the meeting being delayed and the woman coming. The choice between ‘has’ and ‘had’ depends on the sequence of these actions and the tense being used.
Using ‘Had’ or ‘Has’ Correctly
The correct verb tense to use here is ‘had’. The reason is that ‘had’ is used for actions that were completed before another event in the past. In this case, the delay of the meeting is a past action, which happened before the woman’s arrival. Thus, the correct sentence would be: ‘The meeting had been delayed until the woman has come.’
If we used ‘has’, it would imply that the delay continues up until the moment of her arrival, which would be incorrect given the past reference of the delay. ‘Had’ sets the action of the meeting being delayed as occurring before another action, which is the woman’s arrival.
Why ‘Had’ is the Right Choice
When you have two events happening in the past, one that occurs before the other, you should use ‘had’ for the action that happened first. In this case, the meeting’s delay occurred before the woman arrived, making ‘had’ the proper choice. The verb ‘has’ is typically used for present actions or events that are still ongoing.
Conclusion
The correct sentence is: ‘The meeting had been delayed until the woman has come.’ Understanding the difference between ‘has’ and ‘had’ hinges on recognizing the timeline of events, with ‘had’ referring to an action completed before another past event. It’s crucial to select the appropriate tense to convey the correct meaning and temporal relationship between actions.


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