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MarvinTheMartian Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
Describing a hypothetical situation
Hello, I'm very confused as to whether I should use the conditional or the present simple in my answer to the following question:
Question: "Who would win in a battle of wits between Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot?"
Various answers that have crossed my mind:
"Who wins depends largely on who sizes up whose personality first."
"Who wins would depend largely on who sized up whose personality first"
"Who won would depend largely on who sized up whose personality first."
"Who would win depends largely on who sizes up whose personality first."
"Who would win would depend largely on who sized up whose personality first."
I could go on like this forever and still not find the right tense(s) to use in this context. Is there a general rule regarding this type of sentence? If so, could you help me understand it?
Question: "Who would win in a battle of wits between Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot?"
Various answers that have crossed my mind:
"Who wins depends largely on who sizes up whose personality first."
"Who wins would depend largely on who sized up whose personality first"
"Who won would depend largely on who sized up whose personality first."
"Who would win depends largely on who sizes up whose personality first."
"Who would win would depend largely on who sized up whose personality first."
I could go on like this forever and still not find the right tense(s) to use in this context. Is there a general rule regarding this type of sentence? If so, could you help me understand it?
Top answer
Hi, Marvin. S: I am sure Sherlock Holmes is second to nobody.
- Hi, Marvin.
- S: I am sure Sherlock Holmes is second to nobody.
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4 Answers
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Hi, Marvin.
I see no other option than to keep your tenses in agreement with those in the quesiton: "Who would win would depend on who would..."
P.S: I am sure Sherlock Holmes is second to nobody.
I see no other option than to keep your tenses in agreement with those in the quesiton: "Who would win would depend on who would..."
P.S: I am sure Sherlock Holmes is second to nobody.
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I don't know... "Who would win would depend on who would size up whose personality first" sounds a bit awkward to me. It's a bit like saying "he would win regardless of who he would be pitted against" instead of "he would win regardless of who he was pitted against". Do you understand what I'm trying to say? Wouldn't it be better to say, as I sugges
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Hi MTM
I'd say your last sentence might be considered by many to be the best grammatically:
"Who would win would depend largely on who sized up whose personality first."
However, my guess is that your third sentence would be more common:
"Who won would depend largely on who sized up whose personality first."
I think you can also justify that sentence gr
I'd say your last sentence might be considered by many to be the best grammatically:
"Who would win would depend largely on who sized up whose personality first."
However, my guess is that your third sentence would be more common:
"Who won would depend largely on who sized up whose personality first."
I think you can also justify that sentence gr
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Yankee"Who would win would depend largely on who sized up whose personality first."Is it that famous "tense simplification in subordinate clauses"?
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