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Anonymous Posted 10 years ago
Vocabulary
Will
"It was not clear whether any EU country will be invited to the Lausanne talks, a decision that would mark a break from previous diplomatic negotiations on Syria." (The Guardian.)
Why is "will be invited" instead of "would be invited" in the above? I think that the past tense in the main clause should 'trigger' the backshift (from "will" to "would") in the indirect question "whether any EU country will be...".
Why is "will be invited" instead of "would be invited" in the above? I think that the past tense in the main clause should 'trigger' the backshift (from "will" to "would") in the indirect question "whether any EU country will be...".
Top answer
The talks are in the future. Back shifting is optional. The authors chose to use "will" to make the statement more emphatic and direct.
- The talks are in the future.
- Back shifting is optional.
- The authors chose to use "will" to make the statement more emphatic and direct.
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1 Answers
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The talks are in the future. Back shifting is optional. The authors chose to use "will" to make the statement more emphatic and direct.
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