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Ej!_nihilist Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
If - clauses backshift
Hi!
Could anybody explain the difference in these sentences?
"If I were in New York, I would visit the current exhibition at the Metropolitian Museum," he said.
He said that if he were in NY, he would visit the ...
He said that If he had been in NY, he would have visited the ...
much appreciated
Could anybody explain the difference in these sentences?
"If I were in New York, I would visit the current exhibition at the Metropolitian Museum," he said.
He said that if he were in NY, he would visit the ...
He said that If he had been in NY, he would have visited the ...
much appreciated
Top answer
My try: "If I were in New York, I would visit the current exhibition at the Metropolitian Museum," he said. This sentence means that he is not in New York at the time of speaking. He said that if he were in NY, he would visit the ...
- My try: "If I were in New York, I would visit the current exhibition at the Metropolitian Museum," he said.
- This sentence means that he is not in New York at the time of speaking.
- He said that if he were in NY, he would visit the ...
- This is called indirect speech.
- ".
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5 Answers
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My try:
"If I were in New York, I would visit the current exhibition at the Metropolitian Museum," he said. This sentence means that he is not in New York at the time of speaking.
He said that if he were in NY, he would visit the ... This is called indirect speech. After you have such a conversa
"If I were in New York, I would visit the current exhibition at the Metropolitian Museum," he said. This sentence means that he is not in New York at the time of speaking.
He said that if he were in NY, he would visit the ... This is called indirect speech. After you have such a conversa
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Perhaps some adverbs will help you see the sequence of tenses:
He said today that if he were today in NY, he would visit today the ...
He said yesterday that if he were yesterday in NY, he would visit ye
He said today that if he were today in NY, he would visit today the ...
He said yesterday that if he were yesterday in NY, he would visit ye
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Marius HancuHi,
He said yesterday that if he were yesterday in NY, he would visit yesterday the ...
...
does that really make sense? I don't think so... is it just me?
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KooyeenMarius HancuHi,
He said yesterday that if he were yesterday in NY, he would visit yesterday the ...
...
does that really make sense? I don't think so... is it just me?
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Hi Marius,
I would have answered the way you did. But I keep debating myself whether backshifting a subjunctive sentence would cause some misinterpretation or not, since the third conditional usage means 0 probability (i.e., unchangeable past), while the second one means small probability (i.e., dreaming for the future). I rather quote such a sentence to fully reflect the speaker's m
I would have answered the way you did. But I keep debating myself whether backshifting a subjunctive sentence would cause some misinterpretation or not, since the third conditional usage means 0 probability (i.e., unchangeable past), while the second one means small probability (i.e., dreaming for the future). I rather quote such a sentence to fully reflect the speaker's m
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