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Rotter Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
It would be OR It will be
It would be an exaggeration to describe the French capital this week as a ghost town, but if you were a Parisian restaurant owner or a Parisian shop keeper you might be forgiven for doing so.
In my quarter, the popular pizza restaurant had to close because the chef and waiters could not get to work.
The boulangerie, usually stripped of its millefeuilles (custard pastry) and tartes aux fraises (strawberry tart) long before I get home from work, is still bulging with patisserie.
The baker tells me he is down 30-40% on sales because the usual customers did not dare risk being stranded in the city, and - instead - stayed home.
And in my local eight-till-late shop, the Moroccan shopkeeper grumbled it just was not worth stocking up on fresh produce - everyone was so tired after hours walking to and from work, they either did not bother to eat in the evenings or they just raided the freezer. It felt, he said, like there was a war on.
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Why should it be 'It would be an exaggeration to describe the French ... ?
Why can't we write 'It will be an exaggeration to describe the French ...?
One of the reasons to write 'would be' is to indicate the hypothetical nature. I learnt this from Marius and a few others who contribute here.
I don't think there is any hypothetical aspect in the given context.
In my quarter, the popular pizza restaurant had to close because the chef and waiters could not get to work.
The boulangerie, usually stripped of its millefeuilles (custard pastry) and tartes aux fraises (strawberry tart) long before I get home from work, is still bulging with patisserie.
The baker tells me he is down 30-40% on sales because the usual customers did not dare risk being stranded in the city, and - instead - stayed home.
And in my local eight-till-late shop, the Moroccan shopkeeper grumbled it just was not worth stocking up on fresh produce - everyone was so tired after hours walking to and from work, they either did not bother to eat in the evenings or they just raided the freezer. It felt, he said, like there was a war on.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why should it be 'It would be an exaggeration to describe the French ... ?
Why can't we write 'It will be an exaggeration to describe the French ...?
One of the reasons to write 'would be' is to indicate the hypothetical nature. I learnt this from Marius and a few others who contribute here.
I don't think there is any hypothetical aspect in the given context.
Top answer
Hi, It would be an exaggeration to describe the French capital this week as a ghost town, but if you were a Parisian restaurant owner or a Parisian shop keeper you might be forgiven for doing so. Why should it be 'It would be an exaggeration to describe the French ... Why can't we write 'It will be an exaggeration to describe the French ...?
- Hi, It would be an exaggeration to describe the French capital this week as a ghost town, but if you were a Parisian restaurant owner or a Parisian shop keeper you might be forgiven for doing so.
- Why should it be 'It would be an exaggeration to describe the French ...
- Why can't we write 'It will be an exaggeration to describe the French ...?
- One of the reasons to write 'would be' is to indicate the hypothetical nature.
- I learnt this from Marius and a few others who contribute here.
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4 Answers
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Hi,
It would be an exaggeration to describe the French capital this week as a ghost town, but if you were a Parisian restaurant owner or a Parisian shop keeper you might be forgiven for doing so.
Why should it be 'It would be an exaggeration to describe the French ... ?
Why can't we w
It would be an exaggeration to describe the French capital this week as a ghost town, but if you were a Parisian restaurant owner or a Parisian shop keeper you might be forgiven for doing so.
Why should it be 'It would be an exaggeration to describe the French ... ?
Why can't we w
00
Thanks Clive
So in any kind of hypothetical situation you are free to use the 'would' form.
1. It would be unnecessary to study Latin or Sanskrit as they are dead languages.
2. It will be unnecessary to study Latin or Sanskrit as they are dead languages.
I hope both of the above sentences are grammatically correct. The first sentence is
So in any kind of hypothetical situation you are free to use the 'would' form.
1. It would be unnecessary to study Latin or Sanskrit as they are dead languages.
2. It will be unnecessary to study Latin or Sanskrit as they are dead languages.
I hope both of the above sentences are grammatically correct. The first sentence is
00
Hi,
So in any kind of hypothetical situation you are free to use the 'would' form. Broadly speaking, yes, although I hesitate to say 'in every case'.
1. It would be unnecessary to study Latin or Sanskrit as they are dead languages.
2. It will be unnecessary to study Latin or Sanskrit as they are dead languages.
So in any kind of hypothetical situation you are free to use the 'would' form. Broadly speaking, yes, although I hesitate to say 'in every case'.
1. It would be unnecessary to study Latin or Sanskrit as they are dead languages.
2. It will be unnecessary to study Latin or Sanskrit as they are dead languages.
00
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