Confused meaning, help please..

Question

If there had been a faster way to go to the theater, I would have taken it.

A : I took the fastest way to go there.

B : I didn't take the fastest way to go there.

Many opinions were varied over the meaning of above sentence. (in other English forum of non-navtives ^^)

Which one would you rather choose? and Why?

I thought both A and B can be interpreted from the original sentence on the ground that I feel like I

would said, "If there had been a better option to choose, I would have gone for it." meaning, I

didn't actually grab the best option.

So confused, please help~!

Thank you~~

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

c2ranIf there had been a faster way to go to the theater, I would have taken it.

A : I took the fastest way to go there.

B : I didn't take the fastest way to go there.

If I said this, I would mean something like this:

I know that I was late, but there was no faster way to go to the theater. I took the fastest way that I knew.

C2ran · Answer

AlpheccaStarsIf I said this, I would mean something like this:
I know that I was late, but there was no faster way to go to the theater. I took the fastest way that I knew.

Thank you.
I noticed in your sentence you put "knew" there. That's what I felt needs to be placed there.
If the answer choice A were your sentence. (I took the fastest way that I knew.)
it would be more clear, at least, to me.

In my opinion, I think the problem inside my head is coming from the comparative word, 'faster'.
In the sentence, "If there had been a suggestion from anybody, I would have followed that."-(1)
the meaning implied is not obscure. There was, in fact, no suggestion. and I didn't follow anything.

But in this one "If there had been a better suggestion, I would have followed that." -(2)
the confusion comes into play in my head.

A: I accepted the best suggestion available at the time. I tried. but there was no better suggestion than the one I chose.

B: I didn't follow anything at all.

Oddly enough, I often tend to think in the way B goes, focusing on the unreal or opposite situation of the main clause, and at the same time forgetting the idea expressed in If-clause. As a result, the outcome meaning between (1) and (2) is same.

I don't know.. maybe I shoud give up.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

The experience of the speaker is key.

Suppose the speaker is a taxi driver who takes people to the theater many times a week. His experience would give us confidence that there was actually in fact no faster way to go. He would make this kind of statement.

If the speaker is a tourist driving a rental car who is following the directions of a GPS system or their spouse struggling with a city map, then that's quite a different story. But that speaker would not say it that way.

CalifJim · Answer

c2ranIf there had been a faster way to go to the theater, I would have taken it.

A : I took the fastest way to go there.

B : I didn't take the fastest way to go there.

The construction is counterfactual. Thus, there was not a faster way to go to the theatre, therefore I did not take it -- could not take it, actually, because it didn't exist.

But there is nothing in the sentence that says the speaker actually went to the theatre at all. The entire line of reasoning could have gone thus:

If there had been a faster way, I would have taken it and gone to the theater, but there was no faster way, so I knew I could never get there on time. Therefore, I didn't even try, but remained at home. I think both "Is A true?" and "Is B true?" are unanswerable questions.

CJ

C2ran · Answer

Thank you so much! A.S. and C.J.
This can be an arguable or somewhat ambiguous problem for learners, I suppose...
The correct answer given was 'A'. And now, I see myself thinking more that way.
Of all those who replied to this question in other forum, only one said the correct answer was A.
Maybe, the rationale behind choosing B was on some level related to what C.J. mentioned above...
Thank you both for your help~!

CalifJim · Answer

c2ranThe correct answer given was 'A'. And now, I see myself thinking more that way.

Just make sure you note the difference between these:

A1: I took the fastest way. (An act which may or may not have actually happened.)

A2: It was the fastest way. (Deduceable from the fact that there was no faster way, but we don't know what "it" was as there is no direct mention of "it" in the sentence.)

CJ

C2ran · Answer

CalifJimA1: I took the fastest way. (An act which may or may not have actually happened.)
A2: It was the fastest way. (Deduceable from the fact that there was no faster way, but we don't know what "it" was as there is no direct mention of "it" in the sentence.)

Understood. You always make me see things through. I am just so lucky to find you and listen to your explanation.. Thank you.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

If this is going to be a learner's exercise, rather than an philosophical debate on existentialism, I would set the scene to remove the ambiguity, thusly:

A man runs up to the theater box office where his date is waiting, frowning and looking at her watch. He says, apologetically, "If there had been a faster way to go to the theater, I would have taken it."

A : I took the fastest way to go there.
B : I didn't take the fastest way to go there.

CalifJim · Answer

AlpheccaStarsset the scene to remove the ambiguity

Agree. A wise and practical move.

CJ

Confused meaning, help please..

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