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Zuotengdazuo Posted 8 years ago
Grammar

When he might have finished

Then war came to the Stepstones. I saw my friend drive his foeman to his knees and knock the axe from his hand, but when he might have finished he held back for half a heartbeat. In battle half a heartbeat is a lifetime.

Excerpt from
George R. R. Martin's a Game of Thrones 4-Book Bundle

Hi. Could you please explain the bold part? It seems it isn’t an implied third conditional. So how should I understand it grammar-wise and meaning-wise?

Thank you.

  

Top answer

" This is a modal construction in past time. The the words "might" or "could" introduce the idea of possibility - something was able to happen but didn't.

— Anonymous

  • " This is a modal construction in past time.
  • The the words "might" or "could" introduce the idea of possibility - something was able to happen but didn't.
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1 Answers
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In the quoted passage, the phrase, "when he might have finished, he held back," means "at the moment when he could have struck (but did not strike) a finishing blow to his disarmed opponent, he hesitated." This is a modal construction in past time. The the words "might" or "could" introduce the idea of possibility - something was able to happen but didn't.

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