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_pineapple_ Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Difference between two sentences
I'm very confused about these two phrases...
Whenever I'd ask him a question about the grass, he'd look at me as if I was a genius.
Whenever I asked him a question about the grass, he looked at me as if I was a genius.
My first instinct is to say that they're both correct, but are used differently, but my peers on a Swedish forum insist that the first sentence is grammatically incorrect because of the use of would ('d).
So, I need some help understanding this. Why is the first sentence incorrect? If it's not, then why is that? What's the difference between them?
(:
Whenever I'd ask him a question about the grass, he'd look at me as if I was a genius.
Whenever I asked him a question about the grass, he looked at me as if I was a genius.
My first instinct is to say that they're both correct, but are used differently, but my peers on a Swedish forum insist that the first sentence is grammatically incorrect because of the use of would ('d).
So, I need some help understanding this. Why is the first sentence incorrect? If it's not, then why is that? What's the difference between them?
(:
Top answer
Lol... in my opinion, the former pertains more toward habitual behavior - which I think is probably what the writer had in mind. Unfortunately my dreaded reference books are in another location right now.
- Lol...
- in my opinion, the former pertains more toward habitual behavior - which I think is probably what the writer had in mind.
- Unfortunately my dreaded reference books are in another location right now.
- Perhaps someone better versed in grammar rules would like to step up to the question.
- :-)
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3 Answers
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Lol... in my opinion, the former pertains more toward habitual behavior - which I think is probably what the writer had in mind.
Unfortunately my dreaded reference books are in another location right now. Perhaps someone better versed in grammar rules would like to step up to the question. :-)
Unfortunately my dreaded reference books are in another location right now. Perhaps someone better versed in grammar rules would like to step up to the question. :-)
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Yeah, that's what I thought too, but I need to be able to explain it down to the core - I want to prove that I'm right, or really understand why I'm wrong... But thanks, though
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There's never a prescriptivist around when one would need it. :-)
"would" is, perhaps, one of the trickiest words in English. Anyway, with a bit of luck someone else can give you an authoritative answer soon.
Cheers :-)
"would" is, perhaps, one of the trickiest words in English. Anyway, with a bit of luck someone else can give you an authoritative answer soon.
Cheers :-)
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