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Eipjoo Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
meaning of perfect tense
“I would not now have exchanged Lowood with all its privations for Gateshead and its daily luxuries. (Jane Eyre)”
(1) Does this sentence mean that the decision in the past has a relation with the present, that is, I haven’t changed my mind still now. (2) Or is it just a recollection, in the present, that I decided that thought in the past?
If the first is right, the original sentence is different in the meaning from the next sentence, isn’t it?
“I decided then I would not exchange Lowood with all its privation for Gateshead and its luxuries.”
If the second is right, there’s no difference between the original and the above sentence, isn’t it?
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This is before the case, which is the last part of the chapter:
. . . I examined, too, in thought, the possibility of my ever being able to translate currently a certain little French story which Madame Pierrot had that day shown me; nor was that problem solved to my satisfaction ere I fell sweetly asleep.
Well has Solomon said—“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”
(1) Does this sentence mean that the decision in the past has a relation with the present, that is, I haven’t changed my mind still now. (2) Or is it just a recollection, in the present, that I decided that thought in the past?
If the first is right, the original sentence is different in the meaning from the next sentence, isn’t it?
“I decided then I would not exchange Lowood with all its privation for Gateshead and its luxuries.”
If the second is right, there’s no difference between the original and the above sentence, isn’t it?
***
This is before the case, which is the last part of the chapter:
. . . I examined, too, in thought, the possibility of my ever being able to translate currently a certain little French story which Madame Pierrot had that day shown me; nor was that problem solved to my satisfaction ere I fell sweetly asleep.
Well has Solomon said—“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”
Top answer
eipjoo “I would not now have exchanged Lowood with all its privations for Gateshead and its daily luxuries. ” The first sentence means that if she had been offered the exchange, she would not have accepted it. This hypothetical (she was not offered the exchange) idea shows her contentment at the time with Lowood.
- eipjoo “I would not now have exchanged Lowood with all its privations for Gateshead and its daily luxuries.
- ” The first sentence means that if she had been offered the exchange, she would not have accepted it.
- This hypothetical (she was not offered the exchange) idea shows her contentment at the time with Lowood.
- The second sentence is not a good paraphrase - it suggests she made a firm decision.
- She didn't.
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1 Answers
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eipjoo“I would not now have exchanged Lowood with all its privations for Gateshead and its daily luxuries. (Jane Eyre)”
“I decided then I would not exchange Lowood with all its privation for Gateshead and its luxuries.”The first sentence means that if she had been offered the exchange, she would not have accepted it. This hypothetical
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