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Believer Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
Situationally different or not?
Hi,
Please confirm my reasoning.
Let us set the scenario: Let us pretend that in 1990, I fortunately had a chance to invest in a realestate market that required a million dollars and if I did, it will probably have produced a huge gain.
If I was talking about that in writing or in conversation, it should go like this:
If I had had a million dollars in 1990, I would have become a very rich man by now.
But, if the previously known scenario is not known or not set in context, either in writing or conversation, then it would be OK to write like this:
1. If I had a million dollars in 1990, I would be a very rich man now. Or,
2. If I had a million dollars in 1990, I probably would have become a very rich man by now. Or,
3. If I had a million dollars in 1990, I probably would be a very rich man now
Of course, sentence 2 and 3 would convey a different meaning than sentence 1 due to the fact they have the word 'probably'.
BUT it would be very awkard to write as lack of a prior context or mentioning:
If I had had a million dollars in 1990, I would have become a rich market by now.
Please confirm my reasoning.
Let us set the scenario: Let us pretend that in 1990, I fortunately had a chance to invest in a realestate market that required a million dollars and if I did, it will probably have produced a huge gain.
If I was talking about that in writing or in conversation, it should go like this:
If I had had a million dollars in 1990, I would have become a very rich man by now.
But, if the previously known scenario is not known or not set in context, either in writing or conversation, then it would be OK to write like this:
1. If I had a million dollars in 1990, I would be a very rich man now. Or,
2. If I had a million dollars in 1990, I probably would have become a very rich man by now. Or,
3. If I had a million dollars in 1990, I probably would be a very rich man now
Of course, sentence 2 and 3 would convey a different meaning than sentence 1 due to the fact they have the word 'probably'.
BUT it would be very awkard to write as lack of a prior context or mentioning:
If I had had a million dollars in 1990, I would have become a rich market by now.
Top answer
Hi Believer, I'm not sure I understand what you are asking, but anyway, here's my comments: If I had a million dollars in 1990, I would be a very rich man now. - Ok, you didn't have the money. If I had a million dollars in 1990, I would have become a very rich man by now.
- Hi Believer, I'm not sure I understand what you are asking, but anyway, here's my comments: If I had a million dollars in 1990, I would be a very rich man now.
- - Ok, you didn't have the money.
- If I had a million dollars in 1990, I would have become a very rich man by now.
- - Ok, you didn't have the money.
- If I had had a million dollars in 1990, I would have become a very rich man by now.
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10 Answers
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Hi Believer,
I'm not sure I understand what you are asking, but anyway, here's my comments:
If I had a million dollars in 1990, I would be a very rich man now. - Ok, you didn't have the money.
If I had a million dollars in 1990, I would have become a very rich man by now. - Ok, you didn't have the money.
If I had had a million dollars in 1990, I would have become a
I'm not sure I understand what you are asking, but anyway, here's my comments:
If I had a million dollars in 1990, I would be a very rich man now. - Ok, you didn't have the money.
If I had a million dollars in 1990, I would have become a very rich man by now. - Ok, you didn't have the money.
If I had had a million dollars in 1990, I would have become a
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KooyeenHi Kooyeen
If I had one thousand dollars (This refers to something that is a currently unreal condition, not just a past unreal condition), I would have bought that.
= you don't have the money and you didn't buy that.
Just a
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Hi Believer
I don't agree that your 3 sentences work "grammatically", but they'd probably be understood as "If I'd had...".
You could write something like this, though:
If I had a million dollars in 1990, I certainly wasn't aware of it.
I don't agree that your 3 sentences work "grammatically", but they'd probably be understood as "If I'd had...".
You could write something like this, though:
If I had a million dollars in 1990, I certainly wasn't aware of it.
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Hi Amy,
why isn't that structure possible in that sentence? I thought you could substitute the simple past for the past perfect. Some people say it's not grammatically acceptable, but I know that this is possible:
If I had known that you were coming, I would have baked you a cake.
If I knew that you were coming, I would have baked you a cake.<--- same mean
why isn't that structure possible in that sentence? I thought you could substitute the simple past for the past perfect. Some people say it's not grammatically acceptable, but I know that this is possible:
If I had known that you were coming, I would have baked you a cake.
If I knew that you were coming, I would have baked you a cake.<--- same mean
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KooyeenIf I knew that you were coming, I would have baked you a cake.<--- same meaning.Hi Kooyeen
Such sentences might be heard in informal English sometimes, but I doubt that there is any "official" English test that would "officially" sanction them as grammatically correct. And that sentence would certainly not be viewed as cor
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Hi, everyone
How about this one:
If someone had 1 million dollars in 1990, and he had invested it in the real estate market of , he would be very rich by now.
It’s not subjunctive, just a past condition - well, I guess so -. Is it grammatical?
Thanks for any comments!
How about this one:
If someone had 1 million dollars in 1990, and he had invested it in the real estate market of , he would be very rich by now.
It’s not subjunctive, just a past condition - well, I guess so -. Is it grammatical?
Thanks for any comments!
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Hi Maple
I have no problem with your combination.
I guess that's the idea that Believer was trying to suggest:
Anyone who had a million dollars in 1990 could have become a multi-millionaire by now.
I have no problem with your combination.
I guess that's the idea that Believer was trying to suggest:
Anyone who had a million dollars in 1990 could have become a multi-millionaire by now.
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Ok, thank you Amy.
If I knew you wouldn't approve of my sentences, I wouldn't have posted!
Or better:
If I knew you wouldn't approve of my sentences, I wouldn't have posted!
Or better:
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Hi Kooyeen
Why would you think I disapprove of your posts? I thoroughly enjoy reading your posts.
Yes, I've also heard 'knowed' (on occasion), and I do believe it came from southern lips.
Why would you think I disapprove of your posts? I thoroughly enjoy reading your posts.
Yes, I've also heard 'knowed' (on occasion), and I do believe it came from southern lips.
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