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Teleostomi Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

Could this "did" represent a modal and verb?

0 01blockquote
02br
12br
10If they arrested us, I would get a much stiffer sentence than you 11b10DID12b10.12br
12blockquote
10Could the "did" in this sentence be interpreted as "(you) would get a sentence (in the future)" as well as "(you) got a sentence"?0-
  

Top answer

0 Hi Teleostomi,02br 00this is gonna confuse me again, dammit. It's a difficult question... Ok, here's what I would say:02br 02br 01b 00If they arrested us, I would get a much stiffer sentence than you 01u 00did02u 00.

— Kooyeen

  • 0 Hi Teleostomi,02br 00this is gonna confuse me again, dammit.
  • It's a difficult question...
  • Ok, here's what I would say:02br 02br 01b 00If they arrested us, I would get a much stiffer sentence than you 01u 00did02u 00.
  • 02b 00(= than you did some time ago.
  • 02br 00But it's difficult to tell...
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4 Answers
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0 Hi Teleostomi,02br
00this is gonna confuse me again, dammit. It's a difficult question... Ok, here's what I would say:02br
02br
01b00If they arrested us, I would get a much stiffer sentence than you 01u00did02u00. 02b00(= than you did some time ago. I see it as a past tense)02br
01b00If they arrested u
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0 Hi Telestomi02br
02br
00You should use 'would' in your sentence. Using 'did' in this sentence sounds as if you're referring to a factual past event rather than a theoretical future.0-
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0 01b00Did02b00 is too far from01b00 if02b00 in this context to be considered as doubtful. It's factual. 02br
02br
00 Thus Yankee is right in her suggestion. 0-
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0 Thanks! Now I understand that "did" can't represent "would + verb".0-
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