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(1) I forgot to meet him. [matrix time = event time]
(2) I forget to meet him. [matrix time < event time]
(3) I forget meeting him. [matrix time > event time]
(4) I forgot meeting him. [matrix time ? event time]

The temporal interpretations (1)~(3) I’ve written at the end of each sentence after consulting CGEL p.160. But I’m not sure if (4) has any possible meaning at all aside from the time interpretation. Can you tell me about if (4) can have any meaning and what the time interpretation would be?

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"I forgot meeting him" means either:

  • I met him. I never remembered meeting him. (Both sentences are past tense. Either I was very tired and/or distracted, or he was very forgettable, or I had already become senile.)

or:

  • I met him. I remembered meeting him. Later I forgot meeting him. (All three sentences are past tense.)
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