The Federal investigators at Stapleton Industries have failed to find any evidence to suggest that the unusually large contributions to its accounts are derived from government kickbacks or that its officers are guilty of improper relations with industry regulators.
The above sentence is correct. One way ot make it wrong is:
The Federal investigators at Stapleton Industries have failed to find any evidence to suggest that the unusually large contributions to its accounts had been derived from government kickbacks or that its officers are guilty of improper relations with industry regulators.
The explanation is:
""are derived" vs. "had been derived". The present tense "are derived" is correct. The past perfect "had been derived" would only be used to contrast with another past tense verb, which isn't the case here."
My Q: Can't we contrast it with failing of the investigators which happened in past? And thus the second one (has been derived) would be correct? Thanks.
The above sentence is correct. One way ot make it wrong is:
The Federal investigators at Stapleton Industries have failed to find any evidence to suggest that the unusually large contributions to its accounts had been derived from government kickbacks or that its officers are guilty of improper relations with industry regulators.
The explanation is:
""are derived" vs. "had been derived". The present tense "are derived" is correct. The past perfect "had been derived" would only be used to contrast with another past tense verb, which isn't the case here."
My Q: Can't we contrast it with failing of the investigators which happened in past? And thus the second one (has been derived) would be correct? Thanks.
Last edited by towerSpider on Tue Mar 17, 2015 11:33 am, edited 2 times in total.
People are not prisoners of fate, but prisoners of their own mind.
