xstephenx  +  627877 Wed, 31 Dec 08 04:47 PM 56.She __fifty or so when I first met her at the conference. A. must be B. had been C.could be D.must have been given one is D ,mine is C. why？ thx xstephenx Joined on Wed, Dec 24 2008 New Member 49 Modal Verbs

	AlpheccaStars  +  627888 Wed, 31 Dec 08 04:51 PM  "Could be" is present tense, and does not fit the sentence, an event in the past. "could have been" is correct, but not one of the choices. "or so" is a phrase of uncertainty, so a modal verb in a past tense is correct.   (A) and (C) are present tense. (B) is past tense, but not modal.    AlpheccaStars Joined on Sun, Oct 12 2008 Senior Member 3,508 The pen is mightier than the sword. Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873) Verbs, Tenses, Present Tenses, Modals, Past Tenses, Modal Verbs, Sentences

	CalifJim  +  627954 Wed, 31 Dec 08 07:02 PM She could be fifty = It is possible that she is fifty (now). She must have been fifty = The only logical conclusion is that she was fifty (then -- when I met her). The possibility that she is fifty now is not relevant to the past event of meeting her at the conference.  There's a contradiction between saying what may be true now and saying it was earlier at a conference.  You can't have both "now" and "earlier at the conference".  It's like saying she is fifty now and two years ago.  CJ CalifJim Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004 California Veteran Member 22,389 "There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche