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Kooyeen Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
Suppose / Imagine
Hi,
I wonder if with "suppose" and "immagine" both present tenses and subjunctives can be used. The following are all present in meaning (not past), are they all ok and idiomatic?
1 - Suppose you are on an island all by yourself. What would you do? / What do you do?
2 - Suppose you were on an island all by yourself. What would you do?
3 - Imagine you are on an island all by yourself. What would you do? / What do you do?
4 - Imagine you were on an island all by yourself. What would you do?
Comments will be appreciated. Thanks
I wonder if with "suppose" and "immagine" both present tenses and subjunctives can be used. The following are all present in meaning (not past), are they all ok and idiomatic?
1 - Suppose you are on an island all by yourself. What would you do? / What do you do?
2 - Suppose you were on an island all by yourself. What would you do?
3 - Imagine you are on an island all by yourself. What would you do? / What do you do?
4 - Imagine you were on an island all by yourself. What would you do?
Comments will be appreciated. Thanks
Top answer
While there's no replies... I think they are both possible and, independent of which verb you use (suppose/imagine), Present Simple and subjunctive versions have different degrees of probability. Completely improbable situations require the subjunctive: Suppose/Imagine you were a woman.
- While there's no replies...
- I think they are both possible and, independent of which verb you use (suppose/imagine), Present Simple and subjunctive versions have different degrees of probability.
- Completely improbable situations require the subjunctive: Suppose/Imagine you were a woman.
- If you were a woman...
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21 Answers
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While there's no replies...
I think they are both possible and, independent of which verb you use (suppose/imagine), Present Simple and subjunctive versions have different degrees of probability.
Completely improbable situations require the subjunctive:
Suppose/Imagine you were a woman.
If you were a woman...
I think they are both possible and, independent of which verb you use (suppose/imagine), Present Simple and subjunctive versions have different degrees of probability.
Completely improbable situations require the subjunctive:
Suppose/Imagine you were a woman.
If you were a woman...
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Hi,
well, it's not true that improbable or impossible situations require the subjunctive... but I really don't know if the subjunctive is natural with "suppose" and "imagine". I'm afraid it's only ok with "suppose", so #4 is the only one that is unnatural. But I also think present tenses are much more common, so #1 and #3 are the most natural ones... Does this make any sense? Thanks
well, it's not true that improbable or impossible situations require the subjunctive... but I really don't know if the subjunctive is natural with "suppose" and "imagine". I'm afraid it's only ok with "suppose", so #4 is the only one that is unnatural. But I also think present tenses are much more common, so #1 and #3 are the most natural ones... Does this make any sense? Thanks
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I see no problem of any kind with any of your examples.
Within 1 and 3, I prefer What do you do?, but your alternative raises no eyebrows either.
Within 1 and 3, I prefer What do you do?, but your alternative raises no eyebrows either.
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CJ:
Which one of these would you prefer?
1. Suppose you were a woman, would you try to seduce him?
2. Suppose you are a woman? Would you try to seduce him?
Thanks in advance.
Which one of these would you prefer?
1. Suppose you were a woman, would you try to seduce him?
2. Suppose you are a woman? Would you try to seduce him?
Thanks in advance.
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Only:
1. Suppose you were a woman, would you try to seduce him?
1. Suppose you were a woman, would you try to seduce him?
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Marius:
«Only:
1. Suppose you were a woman, would you try to seduce him?»
Yeah, so I just can't conciliate your reply with Kooyeen's... Is my first post in the thread right?
Sorry for bothering...
«Only:
1. Suppose you were a woman, would you try to seduce him?»
Yeah, so I just can't conciliate your reply with Kooyeen's... Is my first post in the thread right?
Sorry for bothering...
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Hi Ant,
what's the problem? You can say "Suppose you are..." or "Suppose you were..."
Your sentence #2 is not good because there is an odd question mark...
2. Suppose you are a woman? Would you try to seduce him?
So I'm not sure what you are asking now...
what's the problem? You can say "Suppose you are..." or "Suppose you were..."
Your sentence #2 is not good because there is an odd question mark...
2. Suppose you are a woman? Would you try to seduce him?
So I'm not sure what you are asking now...
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Oh, that question mark is a typo... It should have been a full stop.
Does it make sense now?
Does it make sense now?
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Then if you're asking about these...
1. Suppose you were a woman, would you try to seduce him?
2. Suppose you are a woman, would you try to seduce him?
...the answer is that #1 is much better. In the second sentence there's a mixed conditional, but it's not the kind of mixed conditional that sounds too odd. Anyway, it depends on the general context. I would say
1. Suppose you were a woman, would you try to seduce him?
2. Suppose you are a woman, would you try to seduce him?
...the answer is that #1 is much better. In the second sentence there's a mixed conditional, but it's not the kind of mixed conditional that sounds too odd. Anyway, it depends on the general context. I would say
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