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Anonymous Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
The conditional
This appeared in the New York Times Magazine, January 24:
If corporate leaders and their investors truly believed that the future were bleak, that innovation and economic growth were irreparably slowing, there would be little reason to hold on to all that cash.
Shouldn't it be: If . . .truly BELIEVE that the future IS bleak, that innovation . . . IS irreparably slowing, there would be little reason to hold on to all that cash.
The article is speaking of this group in the present tense, holding tightly onto cash that could otherwise be invested.
If speaking of the past, then I would think the correct language would be : If [they] BELIEVED that the future WAS bleak, there WOULD HAVE BEEN little reason . . .
Looking forward to be patted on the head, or shamed, if necessary.
Thank you.
If corporate leaders and their investors truly believed that the future were bleak, that innovation and economic growth were irreparably slowing, there would be little reason to hold on to all that cash.
Shouldn't it be: If . . .truly BELIEVE that the future IS bleak, that innovation . . . IS irreparably slowing, there would be little reason to hold on to all that cash.
The article is speaking of this group in the present tense, holding tightly onto cash that could otherwise be invested.
If speaking of the past, then I would think the correct language would be : If [they] BELIEVED that the future WAS bleak, there WOULD HAVE BEEN little reason . . .
Looking forward to be patted on the head, or shamed, if necessary.
Thank you.
Top answer
Anonymous Shouldn't it be: If . truly BELIEVE No. They intend to refer to the present, and the sentence is Conditional II, which refers to the present.
- Anonymous Shouldn't it be: If .
- truly BELIEVE No.
- They intend to refer to the present, and the sentence is Conditional II, which refers to the present.
- Anonymous If speaking of the past, then I would think the correct language would be : If [they] BELIEVED that the future WAS bleak, there WOULD HAVE BEEN little reason .
- No; that would require 'if they had believed'.
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1 Answers
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AnonymousShouldn't it be: If . . .truly BELIEVENo. They intend to refer to the present, and the sentence is Conditional II, which refers to the present.
AnonymousIf speaking of the past, then I would think the correct language would be : If [they] BELIEVED that the future WAS bleak, there WOULD HAVE BEEN little reason .No
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