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#2 (permalink) Wed Feb 23, 2011 19:08 pm It must have cost a pretty penny. |
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Yes - something that is very expensive. _________________ One Way of Learning English Grammar
Learn English with Linda Arlia |
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Linda I'm here quite often ;-)

Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 656 Location: Canada
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#3 (permalink) Wed Feb 23, 2011 19:08 pm It must have cost a pretty penny. |
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That's right. _________________ "Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened."
Terry Pratchett |
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Beeesneees Language Coach

Joined: 08 Apr 2010 Posts: 39144 Location: UK, born and bred
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#4 (permalink) Thu Jul 28, 2011 10:10 am It must have cost a pretty penny. |
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It must have cost a pretty penny.
Is this using past participle? |
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Curarpikt121 I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 21 Jun 2011 Posts: 22
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#5 (permalink) Thu Jul 28, 2011 10:28 am It must have cost a pretty penny. |
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Hi,
In the idiom mentioned above -'it must have cost a pretty penny'. 'have cost' is a perfect infinitive. After 'must' the verb is always in the infinitive form as in: It must cost. 'It must have to' is a sort of repetition because 'must' and 'have to' both suggest necessity and in that sense the sentence doesn't really make much sense.
Alan _________________ English as a Second Language You can read my ESL story Present Simple |
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Alan Co-founder

Joined: 27 Sep 2003 Posts: 17284 Location: UK
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#6 (permalink) Thu Jul 28, 2011 20:29 pm It must have cost a pretty penny. |
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Alan wrote: | Hi,
In the idiom mentioned above -'it must have cost a pretty penny'. 'have cost' is a perfect infinitive. After 'must' the verb is always in the infinitive form as in: It must cost. 'It must have to' is a sort of repetition because 'must' and 'have to' both suggest necessity and in that sense the sentence doesn't really make much sense.
Alan |
Can "to" be left out here?
'it must have (to) cost a pretty penny' right? |
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Curarpikt121 I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 21 Jun 2011 Posts: 22
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#7 (permalink) Thu Jul 28, 2011 22:01 pm It must have cost a pretty penny. |
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'To' is not needed.
Alan _________________ English as a Foreign Language You can read my EFL story Progressive Forms |
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Alan Co-founder

Joined: 27 Sep 2003 Posts: 17284 Location: UK
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#8 (permalink) Fri Jul 29, 2011 2:06 am It must have cost a pretty penny. |
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Linda wrote: | Yes - something that is very expensive. |
That's right. |
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Comehcm New Member
Joined: 29 Jul 2011 Posts: 5
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checking accounts | Gee, you can't beat that. |