0
Anonymous Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

In case

In case you hadn't realised, the use of prepositions in English is very complicated.
In case you didn't realise, the use of prepositions in English is very complicated.
In case you haven't realised, the use of prepositions in English is very complicated.
In case you don't realise, the use of prepositions in English is very complicated.

Could you please explain how the sentences above are different in meaning from one another?
  

Top answer

Can the phrase 'in case' be likened to 'if' conditionals in the sense that the first two sentences indicate a subjunctive mood while the last two indicate indicative mood? Does the first sentence imply that the speaker knows that the listener had past knowledge about the topic while the second sentence implies that the speaker knows that the listener has knowledge, at present, of the topic, which makes the first sentence past unreal and the second sentence present unreal ? Does the third sentence imply that the speaker assumes that the listener have no knowledge of the topic in the past while the fourth sentence implies that the speaker assumes that the listener has no knowledge, at present, of the topic, which makes the third sentence past real and the fourth sentence present real ?

— Anonymous

  • Can the phrase 'in case' be likened to 'if' conditionals in the sense that the first two sentences indicate a subjunctive mood while the last two indicate indicative mood?
  • Does the first sentence imply that the speaker knows that the listener had past knowledge about the topic while the second sentence implies that the speaker knows that the listener has knowledge, at present, of the topic, which makes the first sentence past unreal and the second sentence present unreal ?
  • Does the third sentence imply that the speaker assumes that the listener have no knowledge of the topic in the past while the fourth sentence implies that the speaker assumes that the listener has no knowledge, at present, of the topic, which makes the third sentence past real and the fourth sentence present real ?
  • Please help.
  • I've been having a difficult time figuring out the answers.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

3 Answers
0
Can the phrase 'in case' be likened to 'if' conditionals in the sense that the first two sentences indicate a subjunctive mood while the last two indicate indicative mood?

Does the first sentence imply that the speaker knows that the listener had past knowledge about the topic while the second sentence implies that the speaker knows that the listener has knowledge, at present, of the top
0
0
Based on the tense of the subordinate clause, (which is in present), # 3 is the correct answer in my opinion as" haven't relaized" sounds the most idiomatic. I am sure others may argue that #4 is also possible.
AnonymousIn case you haven't realised, the use of prepositions in English is very complicated.
.
0
0
Thanks, dimsumexpress, for your response. I agree with you that #3 haven't realised is the most idiomatic and #4 don't realise is also possible. However, I have also read in another post by a native speaker using #1 hadn't realised. Click here to see. So I wonder if the other verb tenses are also possible and how they are different in mean
0

Related Questions