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Sesquipedalian101 Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
Would
I am quite puzzled by the "woulds" in the following sentences. Why didn't the writer simply put everything in the past tense?
1. He had high blood pressure. He complained of blurred vision. He had insomnia. Soon he would develop an aneurysm and gout.
[why not "..he developed..."?]
2. By then, they were old enough to hunt and fish with their father, and this is what he lived for. In later years, his sons would talk about this as the best times they had together.
[why not "...his sons talked about..."?]
3. Unfortunately, after the dispute with Dos Passos, Hemingway lost his last friend who was a writer or artist. For the rest of his life, he would hang out only with sportsmen, soldiers, celebrities, and fans, but never with other creative men and women.
[why not "...he hung out only with..."?]
1. He had high blood pressure. He complained of blurred vision. He had insomnia. Soon he would develop an aneurysm and gout.
[why not "..he developed..."?]
2. By then, they were old enough to hunt and fish with their father, and this is what he lived for. In later years, his sons would talk about this as the best times they had together.
[why not "...his sons talked about..."?]
3. Unfortunately, after the dispute with Dos Passos, Hemingway lost his last friend who was a writer or artist. For the rest of his life, he would hang out only with sportsmen, soldiers, celebrities, and fans, but never with other creative men and women.
[why not "...he hung out only with..."?]
Top answer
Because the author is talking about some event in the past compared to a past event. See the examples: Talking about past events: He had high blood pressure. || He complained of blurred vision.
- Because the author is talking about some event in the past compared to a past event.
- See the examples: Talking about past events: He had high blood pressure.
- || He complained of blurred vision.
- || He had insomnia.
- || Soon he developed aneurysm and gout.
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13 Answers
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Because the author is talking about some event in the past compared to a past event.
See the examples:
Talking about past events:
He had high blood pressure. || He complained of blurred vision. || He had insomnia. || Soon he developed aneurysm and gout. ||{moment of speech - a present moment}||
Aneurysm and gout have already developed.
See the examples:
Talking about past events:
He had high blood pressure. || He complained of blurred vision. || He had insomnia. || Soon he developed aneurysm and gout. ||{moment of speech - a present moment}||
Aneurysm and gout have already developed.
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Why would?
All three are examples of "was going to" would -- at least, I call it that! The idea is that you are to take the point of view of the past and imagine what was going to happen later in the story, as if you didn't know from your present viewpoint what actually did happen later as the story continued.
CJ
All three are examples of "was going to" would -- at least, I call it that! The idea is that you are to take the point of view of the past and imagine what was going to happen later in the story, as if you didn't know from your present viewpoint what actually did happen later as the story continued.
CJ
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I am quite puzzled by the "woulds" in the following sentences. Why didn't the writer simply put everything in the past tense?
1. He had high blood pressure. He complained of blurred vision. He had insomnia. Soon he would develop an aneurysm and gout.
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1. He had high blood pressure. He complained of blurred vision. He had insomnia. Soon he would develop an aneurysm and gout.
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RotterOn the other hand if you are 100% sure that he gets other complications, you can write: Soon he will develop an aneurysm and gout.Would is used here whether there is hypothesi
[ There is no hypothesis here.]
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Bokeh wrote the following:
For example: "He told me yesterday (Monday) he would be flying to London on Friday".
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The above has different grammar aspects. You should maintain the same tense in a sentence.
1. He said he will go to London. [ Everybody understands this
For example: "He told me yesterday (Monday) he would be flying to London on Friday".
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The above has different grammar aspects. You should maintain the same tense in a sentence.
1. He said he will go to London. [ Everybody understands this
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RotterBokeh wrote the following:What do you mean? To
For example: "He told me yesterday (Monday) he would be flying to London on Friday".
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The above has different grammar aspects. You should maintain the same tense in a sentence.
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Hi,
I am sick. ------------> He told me he is sick. (not backshifted) /// He told me he was sick. (backshifted)
I will try to do it. ---> He told me he will try to do it. (not backshifted) /// He told me he would try to do it. (backshifted)
End of the story. I hope you liked it
I am sick. ------------> He told me he is sick. (not backshifted) /// He told me he was sick. (backshifted)
I will try to do it. ---> He told me he will try to do it. (not backshifted) /// He told me he would try to do it. (backshifted)
End of the story. I hope you liked it
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KooyeenEnd of the story.Kooyeen, although everyone would understand those mixed tenses, prescriptive grammar (which I know you despise) has a strict set of rules how each tense in direct quoted speech should be transposed into reported speech.
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BokehWhoa!KooyeenEnd of the story.Kooyeen, although everyone would understand those mixed tenses, prescriptive grammar (which I know you despise) has a strict set of rules how each tense in direct quoted speech should be transposed into reported speech.
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Direct quote: He told me "you work for Google".
Reported speech: He told me you worked for Google.
Note: there are no quotation marks in the second sentence.
Reported speech: He told me you worked for Google.
Note: there are no quotation marks in the second sentence.
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