dared to dream

Question

I’ll begin with his movies, for they’re something that I truly never imagined. He is the star of his movies in every way, romancing his co-stars, no matter their age, no matter their needs. It’s a little like watching your grandfather in a situation you never dared to dream. It is not easy to watch.

http://inthefield.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/28/an-inspirational-rising-star/

I believe the bolded is hyphothical. What do you think?
Thanks.

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,
Something you never dared to dream certainly does seem hypothetical, at the very least.
Clive

CalifJim · Answer

New2grammar~~hyphothical~~. hypothetical

I find this question unusual. In what sense do you mean "hypothetical"? Is it the 'situation' being described that's hypothetical? Or the bolded part itself? Or the combination?
Is it the word you that makes the phrase hypothetical? Then it's hypothetical only in the sense that all statements other than I statements are hypothetical. We can't prove that you never dared to dream that situation, but then we can't prove many things that 'you did'. Do you think it would not be hypothetical if it used the pronoun I? (a situation I never dared to dream)
And finally, what of any significance hinges on this phrase being hypothetical or not? I ask only out of curiosity.

CJ

New2grammar · Answer

I’ll begin with his movies, for they’re something that I truly never imagined. He is the star of his movies in every way, romancing his co-stars, no matter their age, no matter their needs. It’s a little like watching your grandfather in a situation you never dared to dream. It is not easy to watch

CJ, 'dared' is in the past tense while he rest of the passage is in the present tense. The only way for it to make sense is to view it as hypothetical without 'if'.

I have no problem with 'you'. In fact, quite comfortable. I appreciate your asking. Could you help me understand the reason behind the sudden tense switch? It really bothers me whenever I see a tense switch but don't see a reason.

CalifJim · Answer

Interesting. The tense switch did not occur to me as a possible problem. There is certainly no implied if, as in if you (ever) dared to dream (such a situation) -- not to my ear.

I would say it's an abbreviated way of saying situation that you have never dared to dream.
never seems to neutralize the difference between the simple past and the present perfect at times. (The present perfect is usually the "more correct" formulation.)

There is nothing that implies an if in these, for example.
This is a situation [you / we / they] (have) never experienced before.
Henry is good at planning ahead. He often brings up potential problems that [the boss / Kate / the staff / the committee] (has) never thought of.
I (have) never made that statement. It is a statement that I (have) never made.
The same situation does not occur with the past point of view because both the simple past and the present perfect have the same backshift -- the past perfect.
Henry often brought up problems that the boss had never thought of.
____
But aside from the subtleties mentioned above, keep in mind that, in general, the mixing of tenses does not really require exotic explanations. Take the example above:
I (have) never made that statement. It is a statement that I (have) never made.
The 'statement' can be spoken of in a timeless way with the present tense even if certain facts about the statement are expressed in the past. Similarly:
These are the very words he said: blah, blah, blah.
This is the book that I [ read / bought ] last month.
A scar is a trace of something that happened in the past.
Hamlet is a play which was written long ago.

These look like the results of the survey we did last year.
CJ

New2grammar · Answer

After reading your reply, I think my interpretation of it as hypothetical has something to do with 'you'. I see that all of your examples except the first one do not have 'you' in it. Why does it make a difference? Because I do not know what you have or haven't done in your life as I don't know you. I can say for myself but not someone else that I don't know. I have no problem with the following :

Henry often brought up problems that the boss had never thought of.

The reason is I think of the sentence as part of a story. I know the storyline. I know the characters. Or perhaps, I know the boss was not as smart as Henry because I know Henry and he told me that. So it's not completely unknown to me.

Compare:

<talking to a strange> This is a problem you never met in your life.

(This is a bold statement! The speaker doesn't even know the guy!)

I hope it's clearer now.

New2grammar · Answer

CJ, any explanation? Am I totally off?

dared to dream

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