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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
English in UK
About modals
I'm back with one of my favourite topics.
From the afterword (1980) by David Lodge to "The British Museum Is Falling Down".
"Nevertheless it would be idle to pretend that I would have thought of writing the novel if we had not, in the early years of our married life, fould (like most of our married Catholic friends) that the only method of family planning sanctioned by the Church, known as Rhythm or the Safe Method, was in practice neither rhythmical nor safe, and therefore a cuase of considerable stress".
Ten pages after:
"The mistery of the disappearing review copies was never solved. If the incident had occured at a later stage of my literary career I think I should have made more fuss; but at the time my dominant emotion was one of relief that I had not, after all, been written off by the reviewing establishment".
"I would have thought", "I should have made". I'd have written either "would" or "should" in both cases.
Do you think the two cases differ somehow?
Bye, FB
From the afterword (1980) by David Lodge to "The British Museum Is Falling Down".
"Nevertheless it would be idle to pretend that I would have thought of writing the novel if we had not, in the early years of our married life, fould (like most of our married Catholic friends) that the only method of family planning sanctioned by the Church, known as Rhythm or the Safe Method, was in practice neither rhythmical nor safe, and therefore a cuase of considerable stress".
Ten pages after:
"The mistery of the disappearing review copies was never solved. If the incident had occured at a later stage of my literary career I think I should have made more fuss; but at the time my dominant emotion was one of relief that I had not, after all, been written off by the reviewing establishment".
"I would have thought", "I should have made". I'd have written either "would" or "should" in both cases.
Do you think the two cases differ somehow?
Bye, FB
Top answer
[nq:1]I'm back with one of my favourite topics. From the afterword (1980) by David Lodge to "The British Museum Is ... have made".
- [nq:1]I'm back with one of my favourite topics.
- From the afterword (1980) by David Lodge to "The British Museum Is ...
- have made".
- I'd have written either "would" or "should" in both cases.
- [/nq] I was in the middle of writing a reply to this when I re-read the second quote, and found I have misunderstood it.
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14 Answers
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[nq:1]I'm back with one of my favourite topics. From the afterword (1980) by David Lodge to "The British Museum Is ... have made". I'd have written either "would" or "should" in both cases. Do you think the two cases differ somehow?[/nq]
I was in the middle of writing a reply to this when I re-read the second quote, and found I have misunderstood it. I thought they differed, but in fact, I wou
I was in the middle of writing a reply to this when I re-read the second quote, and found I have misunderstood it. I thought they differed, but in fact, I wou
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[nq:2]"I would have thought", "I should have made". I'd have ... both cases. Do you think the two cases differ somehow?[/nq]
[nq:1]To me, "should have done something" connotes "ought to have done", but the author of the second quote is not using it in that way.[/nq]
I understand that usage of "should", but I don't see why Lodge used "would" and "should" for the same type of sentence
[nq:1]To me, "should have done something" connotes "ought to have done", but the author of the second quote is not using it in that way.[/nq]
I understand that usage of "should", but I don't see why Lodge used "would" and "should" for the same type of sentence
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[nq:2]To me, "should have done something" connotes "ought to have done", but the author of the second quote is not using it in that way.[/nq]
[nq:1]I understand that usage of "should", but I don't see why Lodge used "would" and "should" for the same type of sentence. Bye, FB[/nq]
In a more formal and old-fashioned form of British english there is a similarity in meaning between betw
[nq:1]I understand that usage of "should", but I don't see why Lodge used "would" and "should" for the same type of sentence. Bye, FB[/nq]
In a more formal and old-fashioned form of British english there is a similarity in meaning between betw
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[nq:1]In a more formal and old-fashioned form of British english there is a similarity in meaning between between will and ... more familiar with this usage will try to explain. If not, I suppose I could look it up ... ;-)[/nq]
Sorry, that's not what I'm asking. I perfectly (well, 'perfectly'...) understand that usage of 'should', but I thought that if one chooses to use 'should' according to
Sorry, that's not what I'm asking. I perfectly (well, 'perfectly'...) understand that usage of 'should', but I thought that if one chooses to use 'should' according to
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[nq:1]in which, again, will is not involved. What I wonder is: why did heuse 'would' and 'should' for the same type of sentence? He could have used either "would" (as most of the native speakers, including you) or"should" for both.[/nq]
I gave up any hope of understanding such things some years ago when I learnt that the distinction between "will" and "shall" works in opposite directions in En
I gave up any hope of understanding such things some years ago when I learnt that the distinction between "will" and "shall" works in opposite directions in En
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[nq:2]In a more formal and old-fashioned form of British english ... not, I suppose I could look it up ... ;-)[/nq]
[nq:1]Sorry, that's not what I'm asking. I perfectly (well, 'perfectly'...) understand that usage of 'should', but I thought that if ... of sentence? He could have used either "would" (as most of the native speakers, including you) or "should" for both.[/nq]
I can only sugges
[nq:1]Sorry, that's not what I'm asking. I perfectly (well, 'perfectly'...) understand that usage of 'should', but I thought that if ... of sentence? He could have used either "would" (as most of the native speakers, including you) or "should" for both.[/nq]
I can only sugges
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[nq:1]I can only suggest that you write to Lodge and ask him.[/nq]
Should I? Why not, he might find me so silly as to create a new character based on me.
[nq:1]To be quite honest I probably wouldn't have noticed this if I'd been reading the book.[/nq]
As a non-native English speaker, a pretty pedant one, I tend notice a lot of irrelevant things. (witty face) Even so, Lodge must have no
Should I? Why not, he might find me so silly as to create a new character based on me.
[nq:1]To be quite honest I probably wouldn't have noticed this if I'd been reading the book.[/nq]
As a non-native English speaker, a pretty pedant one, I tend notice a lot of irrelevant things. (witty face) Even so, Lodge must have no
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}As a non-native English speaker, a pretty pedant one, I tend notice a lot }of irrelevant things.
That's a pretty pedantic one.
{R}
That's a pretty pedantic one.
{R}
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FB > uk.culture.language.english
in <
[nq:1]"Nevertheless it would be idle to pretend that I would have thought of writing the novel if we had not ... be using 'would' as most of the English people seem to do, ignoring the fact that will is not involved[/nq]
Are you sure?
I mean, are you sure that will is not involved at all, in that sentence?
Enrico C
Do Som
in <
[nq:1]"Nevertheless it would be idle to pretend that I would have thought of writing the novel if we had not ... be using 'would' as most of the English people seem to do, ignoring the fact that will is not involved[/nq]
Are you sure?
I mean, are you sure that will is not involved at all, in that sentence?
Enrico C
Do Som
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[nq:1]"Nevertheless it would be idle to pretend that I would have thought of writing the novel if we had not ... of sentence? He could have used either "would" (as most of the native speakers, including you) or "should" for both.[/nq]
(beware, non-native English speaker)
I think the two sentences aren't the same type.
He could have used would in both sentences, but then the seco
(beware, non-native English speaker)
I think the two sentences aren't the same type.
He could have used would in both sentences, but then the seco
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