tenses

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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reycosmos
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tenses

Post by reycosmos »

"This can be a good one to be [have] on your shelf"

in this sentence, can "have" be used as mentioned here?
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MsH2k
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Post by MsH2k »

reycosmos wrote: ↑12 Jun 2023, 11:02 "This can be a good one to be [have] on your shelf"

in this sentence, can "have" be used as mentioned here?
Hi,
Technically, including “be” in the adjectival infinitive phrase “to be on your shelf” is not an error; however, this statement seems to imply possession of the item (book?), so “have” would be preferable. The verb “be” shows that something exists, but in this case, the book doesn’t just exist—a person owns it, so they "have" it. This link is not exhaustive in explaining the difference, but it helps a bit:
https://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/ ... have-verbs
"Knowing what must be done does away with fear."
Rosa Parks
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