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Zhfan Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

What grammar is used here?

Hello.

Why does the sentence "You wouldn't have the happy life you have today if you had drunk yourself into the gutter" contain "wouldn't have" instead of "wouldn't have had"? Is this some special construction? But I noticed that we also have "today" here. So, what's this then?

Thanks a lot.
  

Top answer

Hi, Why does the sentence "You wouldn't have the happy life you have today if you had drunk yourself into the gutter" contain "wouldn't have" instead of "wouldn't have had"? Is this some special construction? But I noticed that we also have "today" here.

— Clive

  • Hi, Why does the sentence "You wouldn't have the happy life you have today if you had drunk yourself into the gutter" contain "wouldn't have" instead of "wouldn't have had"?
  • Is this some special construction?
  • But I noticed that we also have "today" here.
  • So, what's this then?
  • Y ou are mistaking 'have' in 'You would not have' for an auxilary verb, It's not .
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4 Answers
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Hi,

Why does the sentence "You wouldn't have the happy life you have today if you had drunk yourself into the gutter" contain "wouldn't have" instead of "wouldn't have had"? Is this some special construction? But I noticed that we also have "today" here. So, what's this then?

You are mistaking 'have' in 'You
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Hi, Clive!

It does but not exactly. But I can conclude that if we have events related to the present and events related to the past we should use "you would/n't do X if you had done Y". Is that what you mean?

Thank you.
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Hi,

Yes, but more natural is the progresive, to sharpen the focus on the present.

eg "you would/n't be doing X if you had done Y".

Clive
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