If clause
Hi, experts. I hope you to help me with this question.
My question is this...
What is the difference between the following two questions?
1. Perhaps if there wasn't all the brouhaha, he may not have been so emotionally drained.
2. Perhaps if there had not been all the brouhaha, he might not have been so emotionally drained.
Thank you for reading.
Top answer
I don't sense any difference in meaning, but if ... was ... does not go well with may .
- I don't sense any difference in meaning, but if ...
- was ...
- does not go well with may .
- I would use the second one.
- It follows the sequence of tenses principle whereby 'had not been' goes with 'might not have been'.
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I don't sense any difference in meaning, but if ... was ... does not go well with may. I would use the second one. It follows the sequence of tenses principle whereby 'had not been' goes with 'might not have been'.
By the way, may doesn't work well in some complement that-clauses either, thus:
He thought that she may might want to
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