Grammar

Some grammar rules (and embarrassing mistakes!) transcend the uniqueness of different regions and style guides. This new International Grammar section by OnlineBookClub.org ultimately identifies those rules thus providing a simple, flexible rule-set, respecting the differences between regions and style guides. You can feel free to ask general questions about spelling and grammar. You can also provide example sentences for other members to proofread and inform you of any grammar mistakes.

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Grace Michael254
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Post by Grace Michael254 »

Is this sentence grammatically correct,
From an early age, Ron is a chess player who spends most of his time playing with older people or watching them play
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MsH2k
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Post by MsH2k »

I had to do some digging, but I think this may help.

The tense in this sentence seems better suited for the present perfect progressive tense. According to the link below, this tense "expresses actions that began in the past and continue to the present and actions that have recently stopped." That would make the transition smoother from Ron's early age until now.

If Ron is no longer playing chess and/or the overall context is in the past, it would look like this:
From an early age, Ron had been a chess player who spent most of his time playing with older people or watching them play.

If Ron is still playing chess and/or the overall context is in the present, it would look like this:
From an early age, Ron has been a chess player who spends most of his time playing with older people or watching them play.

https://writingexplained.org/grammar-di ... verb-tense
"Knowing what must be done does away with fear."
Rosa Parks
Grace Michael254
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Post by Grace Michael254 »

Thank you, I see the mistake now.
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MsH2k
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Post by MsH2k »

You're welcome. I'm glad it helped. :greetings-waveyellow:
"Knowing what must be done does away with fear."
Rosa Parks
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Helen Akoth
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Post by Helen Akoth »

That you so much @MsH2k for the invaluable feedback. I honestly couldn't have seen anything wrong with the sentence, but at least I have now learned something about the present perfect progressive tense.
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