1. My first two houses had backyard pools.
2. My 3rd and current houses had/have community pools.
#1 is obviously past tense so "had" is used.
But what about #2? 3rd house is past tense (had) but current house is present tense (have, actually has if it's only the current one).
Is it impossible to write it without breaking the 3rd house and current house into separate sentences?
My 3rd and current houses had/have community pools.
So that means I could write it like the above with "have".
2. My 3rd and current houses don't.
That's present tense. The 3rd house is past tense as in:
My 3rd house had…
My current house has…
That's the dilemma.
Unless the 3rd house was torn down, or a pool was added, they are both still there in the present.
Unless the 3rd house was torn down, or a pool was added, they are both still there in the present.
Yeah, but it's not my house any longer.
2. My 3rd and current houses had/have community pools.
Is this in the context of a story? Is the story written in past or present tense?
AJ
Is this in the context of a story? Is the story written in past or present tense?
No. I was thinking about my four houses. It's not about a story. Just a grammar question.
See the ChatGTP response I just posted before seeing this. It handled it with a comma.
I decided to ask ChatGTP. The sentences I gave it weren't exactly like the ones in the OP. Here's what I copied from ChatGTP (my question and its answer). I was right about the tense mismatch.
"My first and second houses had pools. But my third house and my current house only have community pools."
is understandable, but "third house and current house" creates a tense mismatch because "have" applies to both.
The clearest and most natural version is:
"My first and second houses had pools. My third house had only a community pool, and my current house has only a community pool."
Or, if you want to emphasize the contrast:
"My first and second houses had private pools. My third house only had a community pool, while my current house only has a community pool."
That second version is probably the best if you're telling the story of your houses chronologically.
My third house only had a community pool, while my current house only has a community pool.
Ouch. ChatGTP has replaced something clumsy with something even clumsier.
Might I suggest a fudge:
"My first and second houses had private pools, my third and current houses community pools.
Not perfect, but the evidence is disguised :-)
AJ
Ouch. ChatGTP has replaced something clumsy with something even clumsier.
Yeah, I wasn't looking at that aspect. I was only struggling with the tense. I guess it could be:
My third house only had a community pool, like my current house does.
The comma breaking it into two phrases handled the tense difference (had and does).
My first and second houses had private pools, my third and current houses community pools.
Eliding the repeated verb like that is an excellent solution; however, a comma is needed for the elision:
"...my third and current houses, community pools."
You're right. Thank you.
I can't claim credit for the suggestion. I recycled it from elsewhere.
AJ
Oh, I love a good English conundrum. Here's my .02c:
"Although my first and second houses had private pools, the third house only offered access to a community pool, as does my current home."