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Amanda Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

Re: Tricky Question

0 Hello everyone! I have a question that I hope you can help me with. 02br
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00Please look at this sentence: 02br
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001. Would you mind if I borrowed your new digital camera? 02br
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00Why do we say 'borrowed'? 02br
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00Wouldn't it be more correct to say "borrow" instead of "borrowed"? 02br
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00Thank you for you insight! 02br
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Top answer

0 I think both are possible, but "borrowed" is more polite because it's more optional. 02br 00With "borrow", I'd use "do you mind" 02br 00Ex: "Excuse me, do you mind if I smoke" : You already have a lighter and cigarette in your hands, at the worst you've already lit up. " : all your smoking gear is safely in your pocket.

— Pieanne

  • 0 I think both are possible, but "borrowed" is more polite because it's more optional.
  • 02br 00With "borrow", I'd use "do you mind" 02br 00Ex: "Excuse me, do you mind if I smoke" : You already have a lighter and cigarette in your hands, at the worst you've already lit up.
  • " : all your smoking gear is safely in your pocket.
  • 0-
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5 Answers
0
0 I think both are possible, but "borrowed" is more polite because it's more optional. 02br
00With "borrow", I'd use "do you mind" 02br
00Ex: "Excuse me, do you mind if I smoke" : You already have a lighter and cigarette in your hands, at the worst you've already lit up. 02br
00"Would you mind if I smoked?" : all your smoking gear is safely in your pocket. 0
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0 Can you tell me please, what is the the difference between:- 02br
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00a) WOULD you mind if I BORROWED your new digital camera? 02br
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00and 02br
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00b) WILL you mind if I BORROW your new digital camera? 0-
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0 If I may, the past tense usage here occurs to me to imply a conditional 02br
00"provided I take care of it?" to which Pieanne may have alluded in her 02br
00comparison of which sounds more polite. The future facing version makes 02br
00no such concession, IMHO 0-
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0 This has nothing to do with past tense/time or future tense/time. It has to do with past and present tense FORMS being used to create a different nuance, a different feeling. 02br
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00The past tense FORM 'borrowed' is used to be more polite/more deferential/less assuming 02br
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00Would you mind/Do you mind if I borrowED your ... 02br
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0 "Will you mind if ..." is not idiomatic. We don't typically use that group of words. 02br
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00CJ 0-
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