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Yoong Liat Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
reach/reached
Were he a lawyer in his 30's, would Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew give up his career and enter politics?
"It depends upon what kind of life I would have before I reach 30," said Mr Lee, in response to this hypothetical situation put to him yesterday at the first in a series of Pioneers of Singapore seminars.
Shouldn't the verb be 'reached'?
"It depends upon what kind of life I would have before I reach 30," said Mr Lee, in response to this hypothetical situation put to him yesterday at the first in a series of Pioneers of Singapore seminars.
Shouldn't the verb be 'reached'?
Top answer
My understanding of the situation is he is less than 30. That being the case, reach is okay.
- My understanding of the situation is he is less than 30.
- That being the case, reach is okay.
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7 Answers
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My understanding of the situation is he is less than 30. That being the case, reach is okay.
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I agree - if he had said "It depends on what kind of life I would have had before I reached 30..." that would be different. It does read like he's not 30 yet.
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Hi everyone,
very interesting... I Think it's like "you're telling me" in this example:
If I didn't know I would soon be rich, I wouldn't be doing what you're telling me! <--- would soon be rich instead of will soon be rich (backshift), you're telling instead of you were telling (because it's a real situation).
You could say "you
very interesting... I Think it's like "you're telling me" in this example:
If I didn't know I would soon be rich, I wouldn't be doing what you're telling me! <--- would soon be rich instead of will soon be rich (backshift), you're telling instead of you were telling (because it's a real situation).
You could say "you
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Hi CJ
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew is 82 years old and is still active in politics.
It depends on what kind of life I would have (had) before I reached 30.
Is 'had' needed?
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew is 82 years old and is still active in politics.
It depends on what kind of life I would have (had) before I reached 30.
Is 'had' needed?
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82?
He is not in the first flush of youth then.
Both had reached and reached is fine, reach is not.
He is not in the first flush of youth then.
Both had reached and reached is fine, reach is not.
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have had is semantically more accurate, I think, but the substitution of have alone would not create any ambiguity, so it is equally acceptable, in my opinion.
CJ
CJ
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