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Does this sentence mean that some data was collected (in the certain point in the past), then has been analysed and interpreted (in the period of the time in the past)?

Should this sentence be written:

The collected statistical data have been analysed and have been interpreted thoroughly.

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    Welcome to this site. Could you possibly add to your statement an explanation of what it is about your quotation that you find problematic? Is it that you think that analysis cannot be thorough? Is it that you think that adverbs cannot be used to modified both of two verbs at the same time?"
    – Tuffy
    Commented Jan 24, 2023 at 14:42
  • Hello. The problematic for me is correct use of the grammar tenses. I don't know if the past tense is used well in this sentence. Should I add 'have been' before the word 'interpreted'?
    – PawelO210
    Commented Jan 24, 2023 at 14:55
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    It's entirely a stylistic choice whether to explicitly repeat have been in the cited context (it's assumed to be "present" even if it's "deleted"). Commented Jan 24, 2023 at 15:19
  • @FumbleFingers does the adverb 'thoroughly' also apply to the word 'analysed' or just to the 'interpreted' in this sentence?
    – PawelO210
    Commented Jan 24, 2023 at 18:51
  • The syntax is ambiguous on that point, but logically it's reasonable to assume the adverb thoroughly modifies both preceding verbs in this exact context. In the unlikely event the writer only wanted it to apply to "interpreted", he could have removed any ambiguity by writing ...have been analysed and have been interpreted thoroughly. Commented Jan 24, 2023 at 19:28

1 Answer 1

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If you want to signal a past time but not when in relation to the present time:

The collected statistical data have been analyzed and interpreted thoroughly.

No need to repeat have been. It is past tense but vague about when.

If you want to signal something done in the past, unconnected to what is called the time of speaking, use simple past..

The collected statistical data were analyzed and interpreted thoroughly.

No need to repeat were. Here, it would be something like: last week, last month, last year.

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