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Anonymous Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

How to show disapproval here?

If disease had been prevalent, which it wasnt/ it hadn't ben, we would have all died

Should it be "which wasnt" or "had it not been" ?
  

Top answer

My attempt: If disease had been prevalent, we all would have died. Tom

— Mr. Tom

  • My attempt: If disease had been prevalent, we all would have died.
  • Tom
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8 Answers
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My attempt:

If disease had been prevalent, we all would have died.

Tom
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No i mean the little sentence between the comes

Thanks
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Either one can be used. I prefer the second.

If disease had been prevalent, which it hadn't been, we would have all died.
If disease had been prevalent, which it wasn't, we would have all died.
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AlpheccaStars If disease had been prevalent, which it hadn't been, we would have all died.
If disease had been prevalent, which it wasn't, we would have all died.
Thanks, AStars.

...but I think I need a bit more light on this.
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Mr. TomIsn't the yellow completely redundant?
It reinforces the point.

I would use only 'wasn't' in that clause. The past perfect in the if-clause denotes an irrealis situation. The verb in the which clause denotes a real situation in past time.
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AnonymousIf disease had been prevalent, which it wasn't
In contrasts between the unreal and the real, the real is always expressed the same as it would be in a non-conditional statement.

The disease was not prevalent. (fact)

If the disease had been prevalent (contrary to the facts), which
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Mr. Tomwe all would have died.
In non-American English. It would be "we would have all died" in American English.
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Anonymous Mr. Tomwe all would have died.In non-American English. It would be "we would have all died" in American English.
I'm American and "we all would have died" sounds fine to me, so I don't see how it's "non-American".

CJ
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