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Henry74 Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
If I were him, I would have...
Hello everyone,
I've always thought, perhaps naively, that only the parallel If I were him, I would do and If I had been him, I would have done were correct.
But I have recently come across a number of cases where the construction If I were him/her, I would have done is used.
The most recent in a novel I was reading.
A woman (A) has a friend (B) whose husband seems to have taken a liking to beating her senseless.
In the aftermath of one such event, B calls up A for comfort. When the call is over, A thinks to herself:
a) If I were her, I would have killed him months ago.
Do you find this acceptable?
If so, is the use of If I were her meant to emphasize the fact that the beating is likely to happen again in the future?
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Surfing the web for clarification, I've come across contrasting opinions by (supposedly) native speakers.
One explanation that I have found runs as follows:
1) If she had been wiser, she would not have married him.
2) If she were wiser, she would not have married him.
The former only focuses on the lack of wisdom she displayed at the time. Nothing is implied about her current or future behaviour.
The latter states that she, as a person, is not wise.
Do you agree with this line of reasoning?
Even if you do, I am not sure that a similar one can be applied to cases featuring If I were him/her since it is already the case that I will never be him/her.
Can you please help me?
Thank you
H.
I've always thought, perhaps naively, that only the parallel If I were him, I would do and If I had been him, I would have done were correct.
But I have recently come across a number of cases where the construction If I were him/her, I would have done is used.
The most recent in a novel I was reading.
A woman (A) has a friend (B) whose husband seems to have taken a liking to beating her senseless.
In the aftermath of one such event, B calls up A for comfort. When the call is over, A thinks to herself:
a) If I were her, I would have killed him months ago.
Do you find this acceptable?
If so, is the use of If I were her meant to emphasize the fact that the beating is likely to happen again in the future?
---------------
Surfing the web for clarification, I've come across contrasting opinions by (supposedly) native speakers.
One explanation that I have found runs as follows:
1) If she had been wiser, she would not have married him.
2) If she were wiser, she would not have married him.
The former only focuses on the lack of wisdom she displayed at the time. Nothing is implied about her current or future behaviour.
The latter states that she, as a person, is not wise.
Do you agree with this line of reasoning?
Even if you do, I am not sure that a similar one can be applied to cases featuring If I were him/her since it is already the case that I will never be him/her.
Can you please help me?
Thank you
H.
Top answer
Henry74 a) If I were her, I would have killed him months ago. Do you find this acceptable? Yes, that is an acceptable mixed conditional.
- Henry74 a) If I were her, I would have killed him months ago.
- Do you find this acceptable?
- Yes, that is an acceptable mixed conditional.
- Ms.
- A is thinking about a present imaginary situation in which if she were her friend (now), then it would be a fact that she killed her husband months ago.
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3 Answers
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Henry74a) If I were her, I would have killed him months ago.Yes, that is an acceptable mixed conditional. Ms. A is thinking about a present imaginary situation in which if she were her friend (now), then it would be a fact that she killed her husband months ago. The past perfect (if I had been) would not w
Do you find this acceptable?
00
I think I understand.
- If I had been her [at the time of the beating], I would have killed him months ago
does make little sense.
Would it work if I replaced months ago with the description of a possible reaction? Eg
- If I had been her, I would have kicked and screamed, then called the police.
Do you have a pr
- If I had been her [at the time of the beating], I would have killed him months ago
does make little sense.
Would it work if I replaced months ago with the description of a possible reaction? Eg
- If I had been her, I would have kicked and screamed, then called the police.
Do you have a pr
00
Henry74If I had been her, I would have kicked and screamed, then called the police.This is fine and makes good sense.
Henry74Do you have a preference for If I were her in that type of sentence as well?Not really.
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