Assignment: The Perfect Tenses

Assignment:

• Translate the following passage (you may omit the parts in parentheses), OR
• Write your own composition, using perfect tenses wherever possible. Some possibilities:
  • a detective talking to a criminal suspect or victim, regarding a crime.
  • a lawyer cross-examining a witness in court.
  • a letter, memo, or statement giving the reasons why someone has been fired, demoted, promoted, or nominated for some award.

Diálogo entre un detective y Enrique Cisneros:

Detective:

You know that Inés Navarro disappeared on January 10, right?

Enrique:

Yes, two weeks ago. It has appeared in all the newspapers. No one has seen her since she left the party at my house.

Detective:

We've just discovered her body. Someone has killed her.

Enrique:

What a shame. She 1must have had some enemies.

Detective:

How long had you known the victim?

Enrique:

I didn't know her; I'd never seen her before that night.

Detective:

Well, someone had invited her to your party. Who?

Enrique:

She 1must have come with another guest.

Detective:

And you've never talked with her?

Enrique:

I've never said a single word to her (as far as I know).

Detective:

You just said she probably had many enemies. Why?

Enrique:

I've read that she used to go out with a member of the Mafia who had killed two policemen.

Detective:

2I've been told she was very beautiful.

Enrique:

Yes, but I've seen more beautiful women.

Detective:

We've talked to your neighbors and they have informed us that she's been at your house several times.

Enrique:

They 1must have been mistaken. Another woman (who looks very much like her) has come here several times, however. Look, I've said it before and I'll say it one more time: 3I've never had anything to do with Miss Navarro.

Detective:

Come on, none of this has been the truth . . .  It 1must have happened like this: You fell in love with Inés several months ago. But your wife had learned about other women in your life. You had to eliminate one of the two women: either your wife —who had inherited a million dollars— or Inés —who had become a problem. Poor Inés.

Enrique:

You're saying that I'm the one who poisoned Inés? What nonsense!

Detective:

But no one has said anything about poison, Mr. Cisneros ...

Notes:
    ¹ “Must have had”, “must have come”, “must have been mistaken”, and “must have happened” indicate conjecture in past time; this can be expressed several ways, but try to use the method explained in the accompanying handout. One way of expressing the idea “to be mistaken”, or rather “to make a mistake”, is equivocarse.
    ² “I've been told” is in the passive voice. In this case avoid the passive and rephrase it in the active voice.
    ³ “To have something to do with” is tener algo que ver con, so “to have nothing to do with” would be: ...