[化学論文のための英語講座] 第71回：Quiz Verbs 1

(English version is here.)

下線部について、どのような場合にどの語句を使うかを答えてください。

1. A previous report reveals/revealed/has revealed that under rigorously anhydrous conditions, the ring opening fails/failed to occur.

「revealed/failed」の場合
この文は特定の報告された実験の結果を表します。過去形の「revealed/failed」が過去の出来事、おそらく一度だけという点を強調します。これは自然な表現です。
「has revealed/fails」の場合
この文は特定の報告された実験の結果も表しますが、現在完了／現在形の「has revealed/fails」では過去の出来事が今まで続いていることを表しています。
「reveals/fails」の場合
これも特定の報告された実験の結果を表しますが、現時点を強調しています。すなわち、論文を今読んだ感覚を表します。

2. The literature shows/showed/has shown that catalytic activity was/is strongly influenced by ligand properties.

「shows/is」の場合
化学文献では実験結果を表しています。ここでは、文献と実験が複数であることを表しています。また、このテーマについての研究は現時点でも続いていることが示唆されています。
「showed/was」の場合
過去に行った出来事を表しています。現時点では、それが事実かどうかは表していません。
「has shown/is」の場合
「shows/has shown」は大体同じ意味ですが「has shown」はこのテーマの研究はもう完了している、問題はもう解決済みであることを表しています。その結果が継続しているので、現在形の「is」を使います。

3. Generally, cyanide is/was a strong nucleophile.

「is」の場合
シアン化物イオンの性質を表します。
「was」の場合
過去の特定の実験結果を表します。現在の状況は表しません。

4. Dichlorodifluoromethane was/has been/had been widely used as a refrigerant prior to becoming restricted under the Montreal Protocol.

「was」の場合
日本語に訳すと「ジクロロジフルオロメタンは、モントリオール議定書で禁止される前は、冷媒として広く利用されていた」になります。
「had been」の場合
過去の文脈で表す時、例えば「禁止されるかなり前までは使われていた」という時に使います。
「has been」の場合
「規制される前は広く利用されていたが規制される後もジクロロジフルオロエタンは利用されている」と言う日本語訳になりますが、実際の状況としては考えにくいです。

まだ現在形、現在完了形、過去形、過去完了形の使い方が明確ではなければ、以下の例を見て下さい。

a. Before event A, B was used.
b. After event A, B was used.

重要な点は before/after です。両方とも単一の時点として使われていますので過去形の was を利用します。

c. Before event A, B was used, but since event A, C has been used. (and still is)
d. Before event A, B was used, but after event A, C was used. (but not any longer, note that sentence c uses since and sentence d uses after)

c, dでは、イベントAの前では、Bが使われたことを過去形で示し、の後にCが一点の出来事か継続出来事か、sinceとhas been (現在完了形)の組合せか、afterとwas (過去形)との組合せで表現しています。afterとwasの組合せでは、単一の時点を示し、現在は使われているかどうかは述べていません。

e. Before event A, B had been used, but afterwards C was used until event D. Since event D, E has been used.

eでは、イベントAとDの前後で、B, C, Eが使われた順番を、過去形、過去完了形、現在完了形を組み合わせた表現で示しています。

Important point：現在形、現在完了形、過去形、過去完了形を正しく理解するには、出来事の始まりと終わりや継続しているかどうかを、時間軸を考えるとよいです。

5. We anticipate/are anticipating/ were anticipating difficulty in maintaining the enantiomeric integrity adjacent to the enolizable carbonyl.

これはどれも文法的に正しいですが、時間軸が変わります。
　「anticipate」は、いつも予想する
　「are anticipating」は、いま予想している
　「anticipated」は、過去に予想した
と言う意味があります。すなわち「anticipate」と言うと、「エナンチオマーの安定性を保持することの困難さを予想している」と言う意味を表し、さらにこのことがある特定の結果に関することではなくて、一般的な現象であると想定しています。

Important point：「are anticipating」を使う時は「anticipate」も使えますが「anticipate」を使う時は「are anticipating」が使えるかどうか意図によって変わります。

6. We are/were/have been/had been investigating the utility of cascade reactions in target-directed synthesis.

どれも文法的に正しいです。
　「are」は探求している
　「were」は探求していた
　「have been」は探求してきた（今も続いている）
　「had been」過去時点までに探求していた（その時点で何かあった）
という意味を表します。

7. We develop/are developing/developed/have developed phosphaalkene ligands for palladium complexes as cross-coupling catalysts.

これは６と同様に
　「develop」は開発する（継続的）
　「are developing」開発している
　「developed」開発した（過去の特定の期間に完了した）
　「have developed」開発してきた（最近完了した）
と言う時間軸を表します。

次回は動詞の時制に関してです。

Quiz Verbs 1

In the underlined section, please answer in which situation which phrase would be used.

1. A previous report reveals/revealed/has revealed that under rigorously anhydrous conditions, the ring opening fails/failed to occur.

revealed/failed
This represents the results of a specific reported experiment. The preterit revealed/failed emphasises a past occurrence, probably a single point event. This is a natural expression.
has revealed/fails
This also represents the results of a specific reported experiment, but present perfect/present tense has revealed/fails indicates that the past event continues to the present.
reveals/fails
This represents the results of a specific reported experiment, but it emphasises the present. That is to say, it gives a feeling that the report is being read now.

2. The literature shows/showed/has shown that catalytic activity was/is strongly influenced by ligand properties.

shows/is
In chemistry literature this represents an experimental result. This shows that the literature and experiments are multiple. Furthermore, the continuation of this research theme in the present is implied.
showed/was
This represents a past occurrence. Whether this is true in the present is not shown.
has shown/is
Shows/has shown have largely the same meaning, but has shown indicates that this research theme is complete and the problem has been solved. This result continues and thus the present tense is appears.

3. Generally, cyanide is/was a strong nucleophile.

is
This represents a characteristic of cyanide.
was
This represents specific experimental results. The present condition is not represented.

4. Dichlorodifluoromethane was/has been/had been widely used as a refrigerant prior to becoming restricted under the Montreal Protocol.

was
This shows dichlorodifluoromethane in general use as a refrigerant prior to becoming restricted.
had been
This is used in a past context, that is to say, the speaker or writer is discussing the use of dichlorodifluoromethane in relation to another past event.
has been
This shows dichlorodifluoromethane in general use after being restricted, which indicates that restriction is not reducing use.

If use of present, present perfect, preterit, and past perfect tenses is still not clear, please see the following examples.

a. Before event A, B was used.
b. After event A, B was used.

The important point is before/after. Both are used as a single time point and thus the preterit is used.

c. Before event A, B was used, but since event A, C has been used. (and still is)
d. Before event A, B was used, but after event A, C was used. (but not any longer, note that sentence c uses since and sentence d uses after)

In c and d, use of B prior to event A is shown with the preterit, after which C was used either at one point or continuously as shown by either since/has been (present perfect) or after/was (preterit). The combination of after/was shows a single point in time; whether C is used at present is not expressed.

e. Before event A, B had been used, but afterwards C was used until event D. Since event D, E has been used.

In e, before and after A and D, the appearance of B, C, and E are expressed in order using preterit, past perfect, a present-perfect tenses.

Important point：To correctly understand the present, present perfect, preterit, and past perfect tenses, it is useful to think about the timeline and the beginning and ending of events, and whether or not they continue.

5. We anticipate/are anticipating/ were anticipating difficulty in maintaining the enantiomeric integrity adjacent to the enolizable carbonyl.

All of these are grammatically correct, but the time frame changes.
Anticipate indicates a general occurrence
Anticipating indicates currently occurring
Anticipated indicates occurrence at a point of time in the past
Anticipate indicates a general, ongoing phenomenon. In practice, it can be used to replace anticipating, but whether the reverse is possible changes with intention.

6. We are/were/have been/had been investigating the utility of cascade reactions in target-directed synthesis.

Are indicates a general occurrence of investigation.
Were indicates investigation that occurred at a point in the past.
Have been indicates investigation that has continued from the past until now.
Had been indicates investigation that continued to a point in the past, but at a particular time ceased.

7. We develop/are developing/developed/have developed phosphaalkene ligands for palladium complexes as cross-coupling catalysts.

This is like example 6.
Develop indicates general, ongoing development.
Are developing indicates development that is occurring at this moment.
Have developed indicates development that has been completed.

At next time, we will post about verb tenses.