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Guest Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

Mixed conditionals-as if it had happened or as if it happened

0 We are teaching in China. We are still confused about the following questions. What is the correct way for this sentence to be stated: 02br
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00I still remember the whole thing, as if it happened yesterday. 02br
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00OR 02br
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00I still remember the whole thing, as if it had happened yesterday. 02br
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00We've read your discussion on mixed conditionals, but are still confused. 02br
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00We'd appreciate any help. 02br
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00Many thanks!!! 0-
  

Top answer

0 It is a past counterfactual, so it's "as if it had happened yesterday". 02br 00Nevertheless, it is quite common for native speakers to substitute the simple past for the past perfect, so you will very frequently hear "as if it happened yesterday", which means exactly the same thing. 02br 02br 00CJ 0-

— CalifJim

  • 0 It is a past counterfactual, so it's "as if it had happened yesterday".
  • 02br 00Nevertheless, it is quite common for native speakers to substitute the simple past for the past perfect, so you will very frequently hear "as if it happened yesterday", which means exactly the same thing.
  • 02br 02br 00CJ 0-
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6 Answers
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0 It is a past counterfactual, so it's "as if it had happened yesterday". 02br
00Nevertheless, it is quite common for native speakers to substitute the simple past for the past perfect, so you will very frequently hear "as if it happened yesterday", which means exactly the same thing. 02br
02br
00CJ 0-
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0 Try looking at it this way, Guest. 02br
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001. I would have gone {past event}, if I were you {present counterfactual}. 02br
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00Here I am focused on me being you. 02br
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002. I would have gone, if I had been you [in that situation]. 02br
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00Here I am focused on the time of the lost opportunity. Eithe
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0 I find 'as if it had' or 'as if it'd happened yesterday' more comfortable. The 'd' in 'it'd' would be little more than a glottal stop. I don't know if that's a BrE preference. 02br
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00I would take the sentence as an ellipsis of: 02br
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001. I remember it as if it had happened yesterday. 02br
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00i.e. 02br
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0 Is 'as clearly as' understood? 02br
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00I still remember the whole thing, AS CLEARLY AS if it had happened yesterday. 02br
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00(Sorry, I knoe it's a bit off the topic.) 0-
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0 Hello Conus 02br
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00Yes, I think 'remembering clearly' is implicit here. Though I myself remember very little about yesterday. 02br
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00(I got an {Error 500} when I clicked on your website. But then, if I were a guru, I might well recommend Error 500 to my pupils as a kind of communal, low-maintenance, ever-accessible website. So that's ok.) 02
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0 Hello guys 02br
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00The description of OED suggests 'as if' was simple 'as' in its original use. The sense of supposition seems to have been expressed by the use of the subjunctive mood and 'if' appears to have been inserted in later stages as a sign to make sure the subjunctiveness (=the sense of supposition). 02br
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00 01b00"as"02b
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