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Kevin X Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
About conditionals
Hi,
If what I want to express is as follows:
John should have helped me.
He regrets it now.
Are the following sentences standard?
1. John should have helped me, which he regrets now.
2. John didn't help me, which he regrets now.
3. John regrets not to have helped me.
4. John regrets that he didn't help me.
5. John regrets that he should have helped me.
Or there are better ways to say it?
Thanks!
If what I want to express is as follows:
John should have helped me.
He regrets it now.
Are the following sentences standard?
1. John should have helped me, which he regrets now.
2. John didn't help me, which he regrets now.
3. John regrets not to have helped me.
4. John regrets that he didn't help me.
5. John regrets that he should have helped me.
Or there are better ways to say it?
Thanks!
Top answer
These are not conditionals, they're just connected/compound sentences. IMHO, #1 and #5 are wrong, #2 is notvery good (not sure if it's correct), #3 is ok Also: John regrets not havig helped me. He should have helped me, and he regrets not doing it / that he (didn't/haven't done) it.
- These are not conditionals, they're just connected/compound sentences.
- IMHO, #1 and #5 are wrong, #2 is notvery good (not sure if it's correct), #3 is ok Also: John regrets not havig helped me.
- He should have helped me, and he regrets not doing it / that he (didn't/haven't done) it.
- : Hope native speakers correct me if I am wrong!
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15 Answers
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These are not conditionals, they're just connected/compound sentences.
IMHO, #1 and #5 are wrong, #2 is notvery good (not sure if it's correct), #3 is ok
Also:
John regrets not havig helped me.
He should have helped me, and he regrets not doing it / that he (didn't/haven't done) it.
P.S.: Hope native speakers correct me if I am wrong!
IMHO, #1 and #5 are wrong, #2 is notvery good (not sure if it's correct), #3 is ok
Also:
John regrets not havig helped me.
He should have helped me, and he regrets not doing it / that he (didn't/haven't done) it.
P.S.: Hope native speakers correct me if I am wrong!
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All are fine, except:
1. John should have helped me, but didn't, which he regrets now.
3. John regrets not having helped me.
5. John regrets that he should have helped me but didn't.
All the best,
MrP
1. John should have helped me, but didn't, which he regrets now.
3. John regrets not having helped me.
5. John regrets that he should have helped me but didn't.
All the best,
MrP
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Thanks!
I thought the sentence "John should have helped me" readily delivers the meaning of the omitted part "but he didn't," since when we say, "You could have been killed," naturally we mean "but you are not."
So I guess I am wrong about about this kind of expression, or the phrase "but didn't" is added just because I used "regret?"
I thought the sentence "John should have helped me" readily delivers the meaning of the omitted part "but he didn't," since when we say, "You could have been killed," naturally we mean "but you are not."
So I guess I am wrong about about this kind of expression, or the phrase "but didn't" is added just because I used "regret?"
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MrP:
Is #3 really wrong? Are all those hits that google gives in return to "regret not to have" phrase incorrect?
Kevin X:
«I thought the sentence "John should have helped me" readily delivers the meaning of the omitted part "but he didn't," since when we say, "You could have been killed," naturally we mean "but you are not."»
Yes, it can bear one of the two me
Is #3 really wrong? Are all those hits that google gives in return to "regret not to have" phrase incorrect?
Kevin X:
«I thought the sentence "John should have helped me" readily delivers the meaning of the omitted part "but he didn't," since when we say, "You could have been killed," naturally we mean "but you are not."»
Yes, it can bear one of the two me
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Hi Ant,
I did think there could be something wrong about referring to a conditional with a "which," and your "action" thing really throws light on my confusion.
Thanks!
I did think there could be something wrong about referring to a conditional with a "which," and your "action" thing really throws light on my confusion.
Thanks!
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Ant_222MrP: Is #3 really wrong? Are all those hits that google gives in return to "regret not to have" phrase incorrect?Hello Ant,
"Regret not to have done X" has an air of translation or hypercorrection, to my ears – it does not sound entirely idiomatic.
Google stats are very dubious, as we can't look at the hits beyond the first 1000. Ho
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«"Regret not to have done X" has an air of translation or hypercorrection, to my ears – it does not sound entirely idiomatic.»
Thanks for the explanation, MrP!
«Google stats are very dubious»
Yeah, I know.
"Regret not having" often turns to be something like "not having a boyfriend" rather than "not having helped".
A phrase's frequency doesn't have a strict
Thanks for the explanation, MrP!
«Google stats are very dubious»
Yeah, I know.
"Regret not having" often turns to be something like "not having a boyfriend" rather than "not having helped".
A phrase's frequency doesn't have a strict
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Hi guys,
Thanks for all the comments, and I came up with a related question today, after watching "Batman Begins."
In the same scenario as above, what if I say, "John regrets not helping me?" What's the exact difference to a native speaker?
Thanks for all the comments, and I came up with a related question today, after watching "Batman Begins."
In the same scenario as above, what if I say, "John regrets not helping me?" What's the exact difference to a native speaker?
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«... regrets not helping me» He regrets that he is not helping you now.
Regrets that he didn't help earlier.
He regrets that he is not helping you now.
«... not having helped me»
Regrets that he didn't help earlier. 00
In the ending scene of "Batman Begins," the bad guy went into the office finding Morgan Freeman, an employee he had fired, hosting a meeting, whick work the bad guy himself was supposed to do. And he said, "I seem to remember firing you."
If I were he, I would have said, "I seem to remember having fired you."
That's why I am asking the question.
If I were he, I would have said, "I seem to remember having fired you."
That's why I am asking the question.
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