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Anonymous Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Would have been // be to have been

Are "would have been" and "be to have been" interchangeable?

for example:

1. There would have been a ban on smoking in the restaurant, but the owner have managed to cancel the ban.

1. There was to have been a ban on smoking in the restaurant, but the owner have managed to cancel the ban.
  

Top answer

Owner has / owners have . Not interchangeable; they have different meanings: There would have been a ban = A ban might have happened if the owner(s) had not.... There was to have been a ban = A ban was scheduled/planned/legislated

  • Owner has / owners have .
  • Not interchangeable; they have different meanings: There would have been a ban = A ban might have happened if the owner(s) had not....
  • There was to have been a ban = A ban was scheduled/planned/legislated
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1 Answers
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Owner has / owners have.

Not interchangeable; they have different meanings:

There would have been a ban = A ban might have happened if the owner(s) had not....
There was to have been a ban = A ban was scheduled/planned/legislated

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