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Enchanted Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Sat down
Would you mind if I sat down?
Why here using sat instead of sit?
Thanks,
Ench
Why here using sat instead of sit?
Thanks,
Ench
Top answer
" I'm thinking of it in terms of the old-fashioned subjunctive "if" clause. " I'm starting to doubt my instincts on these conditionals. I'm sure someone will offer a clear explanation.
- " I'm thinking of it in terms of the old-fashioned subjunctive "if" clause.
- " I'm starting to doubt my instincts on these conditionals.
- I'm sure someone will offer a clear explanation.
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2 Answers
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Many people would use "sit."
I'm thinking of it in terms of the old-fashioned subjunctive "if" clause. "Would you mind if I were to sit down?" So we may substitute the simple past, "sat."
I'm starting to doubt my instincts on these conditionals. I'm sure someone will offer a clear explanation.
I'm thinking of it in terms of the old-fashioned subjunctive "if" clause. "Would you mind if I were to sit down?" So we may substitute the simple past, "sat."
I'm starting to doubt my instincts on these conditionals. I'm sure someone will offer a clear explanation.
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Hi Enchanted
The sentence "Would you mind if I sat down?" does follow a typical IF-sentence pattern (Type 2). But I agree that people would also sometimes use "sit" instead of "sat" in that sentence. To me, the use of "sat" sounds a bit more tentative and/or polite than the use of "sit".
The sentence "Would you mind if I sat down?" does follow a typical IF-sentence pattern (Type 2). But I agree that people would also sometimes use "sit" instead of "sat" in that sentence. To me, the use of "sat" sounds a bit more tentative and/or polite than the use of "sit".
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