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Taka Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

Without

Do these two mean the same?

He would be inhuman if he didn't do it.
He would be inhuman without doing it.
  

Top answer

The second is very unlikely. The first is a second conditional sentence. (present/future hypothetical situation)

— Ivanhr

  • The second is very unlikely.
  • The first is a second conditional sentence.
  • (present/future hypothetical situation)
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6 Answers
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The second is very unlikely. The first is a second conditional sentence. (present/future hypothetical situation)
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Good. Then what about these?

He would be helpless if he didn't have his glasses.
He would be helpless without his glasses.
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Yes, they mean pretty much the same thing.
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Any idea why the conversion of the first pair works whereas the second conversion doesn't?
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The answer is very simple: semantics.

A good example of the importance of semantics would be the difference between infinitive and gerund sentences.

I like to swim (infinitive) is the same as I like swimming (gerund).
but
I stopped to smoke (infinitive) is very different from I stopped smoking (gerund). In the infinitive version stop is intransitive and means "come to
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Yes, and in fact I've been wondering what the difference between "without+gerund" and "without+noun" is and what difference between "S could/would V without+gerund" and "S could/would V without+noun" the difference would make.

Do you think you can explain it as you explained the difference between "stop to do" and "stop doing"?
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