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Xstephenx Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Modal verbs
56.She _____fifty or so when I first met her at the conference.
A. must be B. had been C.could be D.must have been
given one is D ,mine is C.
why?
thx
A. must be B. had been C.could be D.must have been
given one is D ,mine is C.
why?
thx
Top answer
"Could be" is present tense, and does not fit the sentence, an event in the past. "could have been" is correct, but not one of the choices. "or so" is a phrase of uncertainty, so a modal verb in a past tense is correct.
- "Could be" is present tense, and does not fit the sentence, an event in the past.
- "could have been" is correct, but not one of the choices.
- "or so" is a phrase of uncertainty, so a modal verb in a past tense is correct.
- (A) and (C) are present tense.
- (B) is past tense, but not modal.
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3 Answers
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"Could be" is present tense, and does not fit the sentence, an event in the past. "could have been" is correct, but not one of the choices.
"or so" is a phrase of uncertainty, so a modal verb in a past tense is correct.
(A) and (C) are present tense. (B) is past tense, but not modal.
"or so" is a phrase of uncertainty, so a modal verb in a past tense is correct.
(A) and (C) are present tense. (B) is past tense, but not modal.
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She could be fifty = It is possible that she is fifty (now).
She must have been fifty = The only logical conclusion is that she was fifty (then -- when I met her).
The possibility that she is fifty now is not relevant to the past event of meeting her at the conference. There's a contradiction between saying what may be true now and saying it was earlier at a conference
She must have been fifty = The only logical conclusion is that she was fifty (then -- when I met her).
The possibility that she is fifty now is not relevant to the past event of meeting her at the conference. There's a contradiction between saying what may be true now and saying it was earlier at a conference
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