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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Modal in the present or past?
Hi. Which time frame do you think is represented by the use of the modal "could" in this instance, the present or the past? (Not sure I asked what I wanted to ask correctly.)
This book was in wide circulation in the XXs (could I say "in late XXs" without the definite article?) -- the period, as it seems (seemed?) to me, when young people in the neighborhood in particular were asking questions about life early on. Could this book answer questions posed those young people who were looking/searching for answers to questions that seemed to offer no easy answers?
Would your response be different if the part in bold letters were this?
Could this book answer questions posed by those young people who were looking/searching for answers to those "old life" questions?
This book was in wide circulation in the XXs (could I say "in late XXs" without the definite article?) -- the period, as it seems (seemed?) to me, when young people in the neighborhood in particular were asking questions about life early on. Could this book answer questions posed those young people who were looking/searching for answers to questions that seemed to offer no easy answers?
Would your response be different if the part in bold letters were this?
Could this book answer questions posed by those young people who were looking/searching for answers to those "old life" questions?
Top answer
Hi, Which time frame do you think is represented by the use of the modal "could" in this instance, the present or the past? ) This book was in wide circulation in the XXs (could I say "in late XXs" without the definite article? No ) -- the period, as it seems (seemed?
- Hi, Which time frame do you think is represented by the use of the modal "could" in this instance, the present or the past?
- ) This book was in wide circulation in the XXs (could I say "in late XXs" without the definite article?
- No ) -- the period, as it seems (seemed?
- the writer means it seems to him now) to me, when young people in the neighborhood in particular were asking questions about life early on.
- Could this book answer questions posed by those young people who were looking/searching for answers to questions that seemed to offer no easy answers?
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1 Answers
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Hi,
Which time frame do you think is represented by the use of the modal "could" in this instance, the present or the past? (Not sure I asked what I wanted to ask correctly.)
This book was in wide circulation in the XXs (could I say "in late XXs" without the definite article? No ) -- the period, as it seems (seemed? the writer means it seems to him now) to me,
Which time frame do you think is represented by the use of the modal "could" in this instance, the present or the past? (Not sure I asked what I wanted to ask correctly.)
This book was in wide circulation in the XXs (could I say "in late XXs" without the definite article? No ) -- the period, as it seems (seemed? the writer means it seems to him now) to me,
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