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Hans51 Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
You would be / would have been a great soldier.
A: Back in the day, My dad told me, "Join the Army or see the world."
B: What did you do? You would be a great soldier.
This is a conversation I got in my text book and I was wondering if would be should be would have been for the past guess. I have learned that will be or would be are used for the present guess and would / will have been are used for the past guess. So would have been is more natural, I think or is there a different usage or meaning? What do you native English speakers think?
Thank you so much as usual and have a good day.
B: What did you do? You would be a great soldier.
This is a conversation I got in my text book and I was wondering if would be should be would have been for the past guess. I have learned that will be or would be are used for the present guess and would / will have been are used for the past guess. So would have been is more natural, I think or is there a different usage or meaning? What do you native English speakers think?
Thank you so much as usual and have a good day.
Top answer
I am guessing that A is not beyond the age of recruitment. If we use "would have been," it means that A is too old to serve in the military.
- I am guessing that A is not beyond the age of recruitment.
- If we use "would have been," it means that A is too old to serve in the military.
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3 Answers
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I am guessing that A is not beyond the age of recruitment.
If we use "would have been," it means that A is too old to serve in the military.
If we use "would have been," it means that A is too old to serve in the military.
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I would look at it this way:
If you had joined the Army (back then), you would be a great soldier (now).
If you had joined the Army (back then), you would be a great soldier (now).
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Hans51This is a conversation I got in my text bookIt is wrong. It should read: "Join the Army and see the world."
Hans51I was wondering if would be should be would have been for the past guess.It well could be, but B is probably still imagining A as a great soldier in the non-past (i.e. at any time).
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