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Ravinath Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
would have ? had ?
Hi all, I came across with the following sentence while I was reading a book.
It looked nothing like the security offices he would have imagined.
Does the above sentence mean the same as the following sentence?
If it does not, could you please explain me the difference between the meanings of these two sentences?
It looked nothing like the security offices he had imagined.
It looked nothing like the security offices he would have imagined.
Does the above sentence mean the same as the following sentence?
If it does not, could you please explain me the difference between the meanings of these two sentences?
It looked nothing like the security offices he had imagined.
Top answer
Ravinath It looked nothing like the security offices he would have imagined. Which book did you find that sentence in? It seems unnatural to me.
- Ravinath It looked nothing like the security offices he would have imagined.
- Which book did you find that sentence in?
- It seems unnatural to me.
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5 Answers
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RavinathIt looked nothing like the security offices he would have imagined.Which book did you find that sentence in? It seems unnatural to me.
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Angels and Demons by DAN BROWN,
The exact sentence was : It looked nothing like the administrative security offices Langdon would have imagined.
The exact sentence was : It looked nothing like the administrative security offices Langdon would have imagined.
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I would have expected "They looked nothing ... etc."
In any case, "would have imagined" makes it hypothetical.
For example, "... would have imagined if he had thought about it."
By contrast, "had imagined" means a definite action.
In any case, "would have imagined" makes it hypothetical.
For example, "... would have imagined if he had thought about it."
By contrast, "had imagined" means a definite action.
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