Uncertainty vs possibility?
Whatever pride his lord father might have felt at Samwell’s birth vanished as the boy grew up plump, soft, and awkward.
Source: Game of Thrones
Hi. My grammar book told me "might have pp" two usages:
1) To say that something was possible but did not happen
2) to say that it is possible that something happened or was true in the past
I think the example should fall into category 2) to refer to the possibility that his lord father felt some pride (we don't know how much the pride is though) at Samwell's birth exists. But a native speaker told me my example indicates uncertainty. We don’t know how much pride, if any, his father felt. But if there was any, it vanished when he saw what Sam was like. And he told me "uncertainty" and "possibility" are not the same. So I am confused. So should I think "uncertainty" is yet another use of "might have pp", as opposed to category 1) and 2)?
Thank you for any of your opinion, dear teachers.
Top answer
What is implied here is that the father surely was proud at the boy's birth. This usage is colloquial and would not be spelled out in any grammar textbook. Other examples of this type of colloquial usage: Whatever love I might have felt for her initially vanished as I got to know her better.
- What is implied here is that the father surely was proud at the boy's birth.
- This usage is colloquial and would not be spelled out in any grammar textbook.
- Other examples of this type of colloquial usage: Whatever love I might have felt for her initially vanished as I got to know her better.
- ) Whatever confidence I might have felt at the beginning of the course vanished after the first exam, on which I got a D-.
- )
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What is implied here is that the father surely was proud at the boy's birth. This usage is colloquial and would not be spelled out in any grammar textbook. Other examples of this type of colloquial usage:
Whatever love I might have felt for her initially vanished as I got to know her better. (It is implied that the speaker surely felt love initially.)
Whatever confiden
0zuotengdazuo2) to say that it is possible that something happened or was true in the past
Doesn't "possible" indicate uncertainty?
0
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