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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

"would" before and after "before"

Hi
Do you have to put would before and after "before"?
I would die before I ____ that.
I would die before I would eat that.

ate
eat

This is the present tense. I think it is correct.

If you trip over the cable, it'll disconnect before it brings the computer to the ground off the table.

What is the correct way to write in the conditional?

If I had tripped over the cable, it would have disconnected before it would have brought the computer to the floor.
If I had tripped over the cable, I would have disconnected it before would have brought the computer to the floor.

Thanks
  

Top answer

Here is how I would write these: I would die before I ate that. I would die before I would eat that. ) You can also say: I would rather die than eat that (both "die" and "eat" are in the same present tense).

— Doctor D

  • Here is how I would write these: I would die before I ate that.
  • I would die before I would eat that.
  • ) You can also say: I would rather die than eat that (both "die" and "eat" are in the same present tense).
  • For the second sentence, I would say: If I had tripped over the cable, it would have disconnected before bringing the computer to the floor.
  • " You are not disconnecting the cable.
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3 Answers
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Here is how I would write these:
I would die before I ate that.
I would die before I would eat that. (In this case, you are talking about future actions, so use "would" in both places.)
You can also say: I would rather die than eat that (both "die" and "eat" are in the same present tense).

For the second sentence, I would say:

If I had tripped over the cable,
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If you use will

Which is correct?
I will die before I eat that.
I will die before I will eat that.
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Either (the "will" is understood as being said in the first sentence.)
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