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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
subjunctive?
Hello, Could you please explain how to answer this ...
(Q): he saw the terrible accident, but when he was interrogated by the police he acted as if he ___(didn't see / had not seen) it.
Thanks in advance
(Q): he saw the terrible accident, but when he was interrogated by the police he acted as if he ___(didn't see / had not seen) it.
Thanks in advance
Top answer
IMHO: He acted as [ he would have acted ] if he had not seen the accident. ) native speakers would not be upset with the indicative ("didn't"). That is my opinion as an ordinary native speaker who does not claim to know everything or even very much of his only language.
- IMHO: He acted as [ he would have acted ] if he had not seen the accident.
- ) native speakers would not be upset with the indicative ("didn't").
- That is my opinion as an ordinary native speaker who does not claim to know everything or even very much of his only language.
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2 Answers
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IMHO:
He acted as [he would have acted] if he had not seen the accident. (But he had seen the accident.)
I think that some (many?) native speakers would not be upset with the indicative ("didn't"). That is my opinion as
an ordinary native speaker who does not claim to know everything or even very much of his only language.
He acted as [he would have acted] if he had not seen the accident. (But he had seen the accident.)
I think that some (many?) native speakers would not be upset with the indicative ("didn't"). That is my opinion as
an ordinary native speaker who does not claim to know everything or even very much of his only language.
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He saw the terrible accident, but when he was interrogated by the police he acted as if he had not seen it.
The past perfect is used in a contrary-to-fact clause in the past. This is the most common pattern:
Mary did not see the accident.
If she had seen it, she would have reported all the details.
I didn't study for the test. I failed it.
If I h
The past perfect is used in a contrary-to-fact clause in the past. This is the most common pattern:
Mary did not see the accident.
If she had seen it, she would have reported all the details.
I didn't study for the test. I failed it.
If I h
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