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Johnson13 Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
I would use first word when I was less keen to do it, and the second when I was more eager.
A sentence: I would use first word when I was less keen to do it, and the second when I was more eager.
I know in English, the socalled standard way of using the present hypothetical sentence is IF I WERE, I WOULD, or IF I AM, I WILL; but in senior secondary school, my teacher told me IF can't be replaced by WHEN; does it mean the sentence above is wrong?
I know in English, the socalled standard way of using the present hypothetical sentence is IF I WERE, I WOULD, or IF I AM, I WILL; but in senior secondary school, my teacher told me IF can't be replaced by WHEN; does it mean the sentence above is wrong?
Top answer
I would use the first word when I was less keen to do it, and the second when I was more eager. That is fine if you mean it not as a conditional statement but as a statement of past habit.
- I would use the first word when I was less keen to do it, and the second when I was more eager.
- That is fine if you mean it not as a conditional statement but as a statement of past habit.
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5 Answers
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I would use the first word when I was less keen to do it, and the second when I was more eager.
That is fine if you mean it not as a conditional statement but as a statement of past habit.
That is fine if you mean it not as a conditional statement but as a statement of past habit.
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Thanks.
But the sentence I knew was an answer to an English question; it's not a past event description. Do you think then it's OK ?
But the sentence I knew was an answer to an English question; it's not a past event description. Do you think then it's OK ?
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Johnson13it's not a past event descriptionThen what is it? I do not see another interpretation.
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Thanks.
Then I make up something:
Student: In this sentence, I don't know which word to use; could you tell me?
Teacher: I would use first word when I was less keen to do it, and the second when I was more eager.
If the teacher's sentence is correct, does it necessary mean he is referring to a past thing but not a present hypothetical situation?
Then I make up something:
Student: In this sentence, I don't know which word to use; could you tell me?
Teacher: I would use first word when I was less keen to do it, and the second when I was more eager.
If the teacher's sentence is correct, does it necessary mean he is referring to a past thing but not a present hypothetical situation?
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Student: In this sentence, I don't know which word to use; could you tell me?
Teacher: I would use the first word when I was less keen to do it, and the second when I was more eager.
Ah, I see. Yes, that is fine, too. 'Would' is an implied conditional of courtesy there. The 'would' is for politeness'; otherwise, it is a zero conditional, I think: Any time t
Teacher: I would use the first word when I was less keen to do it, and the second when I was more eager.
Ah, I see. Yes, that is fine, too. 'Would' is an implied conditional of courtesy there. The 'would' is for politeness'; otherwise, it is a zero conditional, I think: Any time t
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