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Anonymous Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

Strange question

You can --- my surprise when I heard the news.

imagine
see
think

Imagine is fine in this context. What about others? They look correct to me as well.
  

Top answer

No, only "imagine" works. "can see" is the wrong tense to fit with "heard". "You could see my surprise when I heard the news" would make sense.

— GPY

  • No, only "imagine" works.
  • "can see" is the wrong tense to fit with "heard".
  • "You could see my surprise when I heard the news" would make sense.
  • "think my surprise" does not make sense.
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6 Answers
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No, only "imagine" works.

"can see" is the wrong tense to fit with "heard". "You could see my surprise when I heard the news" would make sense.

"think my surprise" does not make sense.
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I can see surprise if it happens now, but I can't see it now if it happened in the past.

One doesn't think surprise.
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Thanks for your answers but why didn't the author write "You could imagine when I heard the news" ? I'm confused. Why "can imagine"?
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AnonymousWhy "can imagine"?
The imagining happens now. The addressee can imagine now the surprise that the speaker felt.
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Anonymouswhy didn't the author write "You could imagine
Emotion: tongue tied "The author" didn't write anyt
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