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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

WOULD RATHER HAVE DONE? correct?

I had to either of the 2 meals. If I paid for yesterdays meal and I'm happy I did because I cost less than todays will be. Can I say:

I would rather have paid yesterday than today's meal. I'm glad I paid yesterday. Its on you tonight. Its a good thing we are going to an expensive restaurant tonight.

Thanks
  

Top answer

Anonymous I would rather have paid yesterday than today's meal. I would rather have paid for yesterday's meal than for today's. OR I would rather have paid yesterday than have paid for today's meal.

— Avangi

  • Anonymous I would rather have paid yesterday than today's meal.
  • I would rather have paid for yesterday's meal than for today's.
  • OR I would rather have paid yesterday than have paid for today's meal.
  • OR I would rather have paid yesterday than pay for today's meal.
  • OR I would rather have paid yesterday than today.
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5 Answers
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AnonymousI would rather have paid yesterday than today's meal.
I would rather have paid for yesterday's meal than for today's.

OR I would rather have paid yesterday than have paid for today's meal.

OR I would rather have paid yesterday than pay for today's meal.

OR I would rather have paid yesterday tha
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I would rather have paid yesterday than today's meal. I'm glad I paid yesterday. Its on you tonight. Its a good thing we are going to an expensive restaurant tonight.

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In a polite way with natural English, say this: Thank you for the wonderful dinner tonight. I am glad I pi
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Avangi, thanks

But, if you say "I would rather have paid yesterday than have paid for today's meal." does that mean that you paid for yesterday's meal? In saying that I'm trying to convey that I did pay for yesterdays and 'm glad I did. Can you deduce that? I don't want it to be a conditional sentence where you are asking a friend which he would rather have paid had he had a choice.
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Hi, Anon,

Unfortunately, the options we've discussed thus far are all hypothetical. Further context would be necessary to explain what actually happened. I was just trying to make the options grammatical.

If you wish to keep the "would rather have" construction, I'd suggest you preface it with a separate sentence stating the facts.
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