Conditionals Type III
Hello....
English conditionals are so difficult to non-natives.
I've recently come across these problems.
I wish I could get some help.
A. If he had been here last night, he would have left footprints.
B. If you had wanted me to do it, you should have told me earlier.
1. Both A and B can be understood to have two meanings below?
(1) Counterfactual
A. He was not here last night, so there are no footprints.
B. As you didn’t want me to do it, you didn’t tell me earlier.
(2) Inferential
A. If he was here last night, there will be footprints, so let’s find the footprints that he (might have) left.
B. If it is true that you wanted me to do it, it is natural that you told me earlier. But you didn’t tell me earlier.
2. In both (1) and (2), can had been be replaced with was/were, and had wanted be replaced with wanted?
Or maybe, had been cannot be replaced with was/were, but had wanted can be replaced with wanted?
Top answer
My first instinct is to interpret A as the counterfactual version and B as the inferential version. I can understand the inferential version of A as an alternate interpretation, but not the counterfactual version of B. I think it's the "should" that complicates it.
- My first instinct is to interpret A as the counterfactual version and B as the inferential version.
- I can understand the inferential version of A as an alternate interpretation, but not the counterfactual version of B.
- I think it's the "should" that complicates it.
- The replacements you asked about are possible.
- As you already know, that gives these: A.
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My first instinct is to interpret A as the counterfactual version and B as the inferential version. I can understand the inferential version of A as an alternate interpretation, but not the counterfactual version of B. I think it's the "should" that complicates it.
The replacements you asked about are possible. As you already know, that gives these:
A. If he was here last nig
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