2'nd and 3'rd conditional sentences
Hello!
I am not sure how more complex sentences in 2'nd and 3'rd conditional should look like.
For instance:
1. If I were there with you in NYC, they wouldn't guess where I am/was from.
2. If she hadn't been so open, Mark wouldn't have guessed she was/had been single.
Is the backshifting necessary in underlined parts of those conditional sentences?
Thank you in advance.
Top answer
park cobra 476 Is the backshifting necessary in underlined parts of those conditional sentences? No. I wouldn't use the backshift in the second one at all.
- park cobra 476 Is the backshifting necessary in underlined parts of those conditional sentences?
- No.
- I wouldn't use the backshift in the second one at all.
- 'had been single' doesn't work because it suggests that Mark would not have guessed that she had ever been single, which makes no sense because no one is born married.
- Mark would have known that, and it's absurd to say anything that implies he would not have known it.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
park cobra 476Is the backshifting necessary in underlined parts of those conditional sentences?
No. I wouldn't use the backshift in the second one at all. 'had been single' doesn't work because it suggests that Mark would not have guessed that she had ever been single, which makes no sense because no one is born married. Mark would have known that, and i
0
Related Questions