Swapping the clauses?
"If you were less careful, you could've died."
"You could've died if you were less careful."
These both convey the same meaning, right? The meaning is that the person was able to die, and would've died in the event that the person was less careful. Or is the first different?
I am kind of confused with "could've". Could've indicates that something might've happened in the past, but didn't. So, when someone says "You could've died if you were less careful," it translates into "You might've died, in the event that you were less careful." Doesn't this literally mean "in the event that the person was less careful, it would've triggered the event of the person "might've dying". However, I researched, and it means that "in the event that the person was less careful, it would've made the person die." Why is this? Shouldn't "could've" be "would've"?
Top answer
" These both convey the same meaning, right? The meaning is that the person was able to die, and would've died in the event that the person was less careful. Or is the first different?
- " These both convey the same meaning, right?
- The meaning is that the person was able to die, and would've died in the event that the person was less careful.
- Or is the first different?
- " Interesting!
- you are mixing conditions 2 and 3.
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"You could've died if you were less careful."
These both convey the same meaning, right? The meaning is that the person was able to die, and would've died in the event that the person was less careful. Or is the first different?
"If you were less careful, you could've died."
Interesting! you are mixing conditions 2 and 3. What is the reason that
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