Why is it incorrect?
Example from Side and Wellman
If he had told the truth, you shouldn't have got angry with him.
What's wrong with it.
Top answer
There may be a sense in which this is possible in traditional or old-fashioned BrE, but essentially it is wrong in modern English. "you shouldn't have got angry with him" implies that you did get angry with him (and were wrong to do so). However, the reasonable supposition is that you would not have got angry with him if he had told the truth.
- There may be a sense in which this is possible in traditional or old-fashioned BrE, but essentially it is wrong in modern English.
- "you shouldn't have got angry with him" implies that you did get angry with him (and were wrong to do so).
- However, the reasonable supposition is that you would not have got angry with him if he had told the truth.
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There may be a sense in which this is possible in traditional or old-fashioned BrE, but essentially it is wrong in modern English. "you shouldn't have got angry with him" implies that you did get angry with him (and were wrong to do so). However, the reasonable supposition is that you would not have got angry with him if he had told the truth.
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