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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Would be V.S. would have been
Hi, the following conversation:
Jules: Did you get what you wanted?
Garfield: No, we pulled out of the negotiation after a very short time.
Jules: I'm surprised. The prospects for agreement seemed very good at the start.
Garfield: They did, but it didn't take long before things looked very different.
Jules: Why was that?
Garfield: Well what they were proposing would have left us with almost nothing and they thought our proposal would mean the same for them. So it would have been basically a zero-sum game.
In the last sentence:
1.Can I say "would leave" instead of "would have left "?
2.Can I say "it would be basically a zero-sum game" instead of "it would have been basically a zero-sum game"?
What's the difference? Thanks!
Jules: Did you get what you wanted?
Garfield: No, we pulled out of the negotiation after a very short time.
Jules: I'm surprised. The prospects for agreement seemed very good at the start.
Garfield: They did, but it didn't take long before things looked very different.
Jules: Why was that?
Garfield: Well what they were proposing would have left us with almost nothing and they thought our proposal would mean the same for them. So it would have been basically a zero-sum game.
In the last sentence:
1.Can I say "would leave" instead of "would have left "?
2.Can I say "it would be basically a zero-sum game" instead of "it would have been basically a zero-sum game"?
What's the difference? Thanks!
Top answer
Hi, Here's my share but let's wait for the others. g It would be basically the starting point. I would/will leave this place as soon as possible.
- Hi, Here's my share but let's wait for the others.
- g It would be basically the starting point.
- I would/will leave this place as soon as possible.
- (future) I would have left the party if you hadn't arrived on time.
- (perfect modal) MC
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3 Answers
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Hi,
Here's my share but let's wait for the others.
Would have been or would have - perfect modals (could, should, must,might may)
You can use "perfect modals" when you are talking about ----- (regrets, past suggestion/admonition , past possiblity, past ablity, past possible decision or turn of events)
e.g
It would be basically the starting point.
I woul
Here's my share but let's wait for the others.
Would have been or would have - perfect modals (could, should, must,might may)
You can use "perfect modals" when you are talking about ----- (regrets, past suggestion/admonition , past possiblity, past ablity, past possible decision or turn of events)
e.g
It would be basically the starting point.
I woul
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Perhaps you didn't realize that the sentence in question is an implied third conditional. The complete sentence might read something like
Had we accepted/(if we had accepted) what they were proposing, it would have left us with almost nothing and they thought our proposal would have meant/(would mean) the same for them.
These "would have left/meant" parts are
Had we accepted/(if we had accepted) what they were proposing, it would have left us with almost nothing and they thought our proposal would have meant/(would mean) the same for them.
These "would have left/meant" parts are
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Yeah, I know "would have left" in the sentence implies third conditional.
However, what I am more interested in is whether the sentence will change the meaning if I change "would have left" to "would leave" in this situation.
However, what I am more interested in is whether the sentence will change the meaning if I change "would have left" to "would leave" in this situation.
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