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New Hope Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

Do the two sentences below have different meanings? Please explain..
He could make trouble for me if he wanted to.
He could have made trouble for me if he wanted to.
  

Top answer

-- Now or in the future. He could have made trouble for me if he had wanted to. -- in the past

— Mister Micawber

  • -- Now or in the future.
  • He could have made trouble for me if he had wanted to.
  • -- in the past
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3 Answers
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He could make trouble for me if he wanted to.-- Now or in the future.
He could have made trouble for me if he had wanted to.-- in the past
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In the first sentence, can we write "if he wants to" without changing the meaning?
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haroon rashidIn the first sentence, can we write "if he wants to" without changing the meaning?
The meaning wouldn't change; the speaker just thinks the trouble-making is a bit more likely to happen.
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