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Perfect Stranger Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
Movie English no. 4: Game of Thrones E10 - Dialogue between Podrick and Brienne
Hello there,
I've just watched the latest episode of Game of Thrones and one scene (or a dialogue as a matter of fact) struck me as surprising in terms of English grammar. The scene I'm talking about takes places at the 40th minute 30th second when Brienne and Podrick wake up and realize their horses are gone. Then Brienne says something along these lines:
Brienne says: Where are the horses? (exact words)
Podrick replies: I tied them like you told me last night. (not exact words)
Brienne says: If you did it like I told you, the horses would be here! (exact words)
My question is... how come she used the second conditional??? I always thought it should be the III conditional in such situations (talking about the past) or a mixed one (talking about the past with the consequences happening in the present)
Why didn't she say:
If you had done it like I told you, the horse would be here! (mixed conditional)
or
If you had done it like I told you, the horses wouldn't have left! (3rd conditional)
Thank you
I've just watched the latest episode of Game of Thrones and one scene (or a dialogue as a matter of fact) struck me as surprising in terms of English grammar. The scene I'm talking about takes places at the 40th minute 30th second when Brienne and Podrick wake up and realize their horses are gone. Then Brienne says something along these lines:
Brienne says: Where are the horses? (exact words)
Podrick replies: I tied them like you told me last night. (not exact words)
Brienne says: If you did it like I told you, the horses would be here! (exact words)
My question is... how come she used the second conditional??? I always thought it should be the III conditional in such situations (talking about the past) or a mixed one (talking about the past with the consequences happening in the present)
Why didn't she say:
If you had done it like I told you, the horse would be here! (mixed conditional)
or
If you had done it like I told you, the horses wouldn't have left! (3rd conditional)
Thank you
Top answer
Perfect Stranger Brienne says: If you did it like I told you, the horses would be here! Casual speakers sometimes do not use the "correct" conditional forms, especially the verb forms in the if-clause (subjunctive mood). This is casual conversation.
- Perfect Stranger Brienne says: If you did it like I told you, the horses would be here!
- Casual speakers sometimes do not use the "correct" conditional forms, especially the verb forms in the if-clause (subjunctive mood).
- This is casual conversation.
- It is one of the many signs that English is in a process of evolution to simpler structures.
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6 Answers
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Perfect StrangerBrienne says: If you did it like I told you, the horses would be here!Casual speakers sometimes do not use the "correct" conditional forms, especially the verb forms in the if-clause (subjunctive mood). This is casual conversation. It is one of the many signs that English is in a process of evolution to simpler structures.
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AlpheccaStarsCasual speakers sometimes do not use the "correct" conditional forms, especially the verb forms in the if-clause (subjunctive mood). This is casual conversation. It is one of the many signs that English is in a process of evolution to simpler structures.Thanks AS.
Would you say then that it should be said in the following fashion:
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I know this is a casual conversation, but shouldn't like to be switched with as?
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AlpheccaStarsCasual speakers sometimes do not use the "correct" conditional forms, especially the verb forms in the if-clause (subjunctive mood). This is casual conversation. It is one of the many signs that English is in a process of evolution to simpler structuresThis is true. However, even knowing that langua
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AnonymousI know this is a casual conversation, but shouldn't like to be switched with as?Technically (traditionally), yes. Another example of evolving language where so many people don't understand (and therefore don't observe) the nuances.
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