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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Four grammatical questions, help please!!
1. Is there a difference between:
You were not supposed to see that.
You were not supposed to have seen that?
What does the past participle do in this case?
2. Is it...
I wish he were never my student.
I was he was never my student.
Do I use was or were here to state the...the conditional?
3. Is there a difference between:
He preferred that she stay in her room.
He preferred that she stayed in her room.
If the entire narrative is supposed to be in past tense, do I stick with 'stayed' or does stay and stayed have different meanings and both can be used in the past tense if the emphasis is on preferred.
4. I'm confused about how 'yet' is used in the following examples:
We might have toppled you yet.
We might have hurt him yet.
What does yet mean here?
Much thanks for your replies!!
You were not supposed to see that.
You were not supposed to have seen that?
What does the past participle do in this case?
2. Is it...
I wish he were never my student.
I was he was never my student.
Do I use was or were here to state the...the conditional?
3. Is there a difference between:
He preferred that she stay in her room.
He preferred that she stayed in her room.
If the entire narrative is supposed to be in past tense, do I stick with 'stayed' or does stay and stayed have different meanings and both can be used in the past tense if the emphasis is on preferred.
4. I'm confused about how 'yet' is used in the following examples:
We might have toppled you yet.
We might have hurt him yet.
What does yet mean here?
Much thanks for your replies!!
Top answer
1. - - Edges it toward the past 2. -- Formal .
- 1.
- - - Edges it toward the past 2.
- -- Formal .
- Use 'were' for the subjunctive .
- -- Informal 3.
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3 Answers
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1.
You were not supposed to see that.-- Just now or before
You were not supposed to have seen that-- Before
What does the past participle do in this case?-- Edges it toward the past
2.
I wish he were never my student.-- Formal. Use 'were' for the subjunctive.
I wish he was never my student.-- Informal
You were not supposed to see that.-- Just now or before
You were not supposed to have seen that-- Before
What does the past participle do in this case?-- Edges it toward the past
2.
I wish he were never my student.-- Formal. Use 'were' for the subjunctive.
I wish he was never my student.-- Informal
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Thanks, but could you explain why
He preferred that she stayed in her room is informal? Doesn't it simply mean he wants her to remain in the room using the past tense for the verbs?
He preferred that she stayed in her room is informal? Doesn't it simply mean he wants her to remain in the room using the past tense for the verbs?
00
It does, but it is also less formal than using the subjunctive for the same situation.
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