750PB1:Installer,wrong text

[white]

I already had Total Commander 7.04a installed and tried to install the public beta 1 version at a different location.

When running the installer, the installer reports:

Total Commander is already installed in

Doesn't this quote mean Total Commander is already being installed. Shouldn't it read:

Total Commander has been installed already in

And maybe add a colon at the end?

[petermad]

I think "Total Commander is already installed in" is perfectly fine (could use a colon at the end though).

"Total Commander has been installed already in" is not proper English - "Total Commander has already been installed in" would be correct, but the meaning is the same as "Total Commander is already installed in" in this context.

[alm]

Perhaps it should state that an older version exists instead of saying it is already installed, because the new version is not installed yet.

Don't know if the installer checks for versions though, although I think it doesn't.

[petermad]

Perhaps it should state that an older version

It might not necessarily be an older version - TC only checks for the existence of an installation, it doesn't check the version.

Maybe: "An installation of Total Commander already exists in:" would be better?

[white]

"Total Commander has already been installed in" would be correct, but the meaning is the same as "Total Commander is already installed in" in this context.

That can only be true if "installed" can be considered to be an adjective. For example like the adjective "green":

The car is green.
The car is already green. You don't have to paint it.

Can "installed" be considered to be an adjective?

If "installed" is a past participle then the conjugations are:

Present simple passive: Total commander is installed.
Past simple passive: Total Commander was installed.

Present continuous passive: Total Commander is being installed.
Past continuous passive: Total Commander was being installed.

Present perfect passive: Total Commander has been installed.
Past perfect passive: Total Commander had been installed.

[ghisler(Author)]

Anyone from UK or the U.S. here who could help, please?

[petermad]

Present simple passive: Total Commander is installed.

This tells us that Total Commander is present now, but does not indicate for how long that has been so.

Present perfect passive: Total Commander has been installed.

This tells us that Total Commander has been present one time or another (it could have been deleted again) - if TC is present this statement can give the impression that it has JUST been done.

But as I wrote, I think that in the context the message to the reader is the same (why would the installer tell that TC has been installed if it is not there anymore).


I still think that: "An installation of Total Commander already exists in:" is a good approach. Not so many chances of misinterpretation IMHO.

[Clo]

2petermad

Hi Peter !

…“An installation of Total Commander already exists in:”

• Yes, I think too that's the best unambiguous string…

 FR
Claude
Clo

[white]

Can "installed" be considered to be an adjective?

For those interested (adjective!), here are some links about using past participle as an adjective:
http://www.english-test.net/forum/ftopic11696.html
http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/13051-adjective-past-participle.html

One quote from the last link rounds it up in my opinion:

The criterion is simple but not always clear-cut: does the '-ed' verb form represent a condition or an action?

After reading the information mentioned above I think "installed" is a past participle and not a adjective.

[petermad]

After reading the information mentioned above I think "installed" is a past participle and not a adjective.

Does it change anything for you if it is one or the other.

If it is a past participle it still does not enlighten you whether TC has JUST been installed (as if the installer just did it) or whether it has been installed some time in the past. Isn't that what the confusion is about, or did I misunderstand your FIRSt posting?

[white]

Does it change anything for you if it is one or the other.

If it is a past participle it still does not enlighten you whether TC has JUST been installed (as if the installer just did it) or whether it has been installed some time in the past. Isn't that what the confusion is about, or did I misunderstand your FIRSt posting?

You misunderstood. I merely wanted to point out the grammar is wrong. Sorry if I wasn't clear.

[ghisler(Author)]

I will leave it unchanged for the moment because I'm more confused than before what is right or wrong. we really need to ask this a native English speaker...

[karlchen]

Hello, Christian.

I will leave it unchanged for the moment because I'm more confused than before what is right or wrong. we really need to ask this a native English speaker...

Leaving the message as it is currently is perfectly all right. An American speaker said so only a few minutes ago.

If he had to pick one of the 3 messages discussed in this thread

"Total Commander is already installed in: <foldername>"
"Total Commander has already been installed in: <foldername>"
"An installation of Total Commander already exists in: <foldername>"

he would not have to think too much about them, because they are equally acceptable to his ears, and he would very likely choose the shortest sentence.

Kind regards,
Karl

[Hacker]

Christian,

we really need to ask this a native English speaker

No offence to any native speakers but there does not always have to be a direct correlation between speaking a language natively and mastering its nuances.

Just my 3 cents.
Roman

[karlchen]

Hm, Roman.

No offence to any native speakers but there does not always have to be a direct correlation between speaking a language natively and mastering its nuances.

Do you really want me to forward this comment to that US guy who said all 3 wordings seemed perfectly OK to him?

Karl