Tenses

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Marius Hancu

#285532 Wed, 25 Oct 06 07:27 PM

CalifJim wrote:
Marius,

Don't you need They knew that if they retaliated they would have got detention to get the mixed conditional idea?

You're absolutely right. Sorry for the bad example.

Marius Hancu

Joined on Wed, Apr 26 2006

Montreal, Canada

Veteran Member (11,673)

CalifJim

#285538 Wed, 25 Oct 06 07:38 PM

Not a problem. Any luck finding another with the mixed conditional?

CJ

CalifJim

Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004

California

Veteran Member (17,794)

"There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche

CalifJim

#285541 Wed, 25 Oct 06 07:45 PM

And by the way, has anyone tried the angle that stative verbs might act differently from other verbs in if-clauses with regard to the speaker's tendency to keep them in the past instead of putting them in the past perfect (in what seems to be a "third conditional")?

That might be a trend. Or not! Smile [:)]

(I don't know if anyone has explored this possibility.)

CJ

CalifJim

Regards, Verbs, Clauses, Stative Verbs, Past Perfect, Conditionals

Marius Hancu

#285543 Wed, 25 Oct 06 07:55 PM

CalifJim wrote:
And by the way, has anyone tried the angle that stative verbs might act differently from other verbs in if-clauses with regard to the speaker's tendency to keep them in the past instead of putting them in the past perfect (in what seems to be a "third conditional")?

That might be a trend. Or not! (I don't know if anyone has explored this possibility.)

I haven't seen this suggested anywhere else, but I've felt for some time that yes, there are several verbs that seem to be treated differently in this respect. Not sure if they're all stative, but it might well be so.

Marius Hancu

Regards, Verbs, Clauses, Stative Verbs, Past Perfect, Conditionals

Marius Hancu

#285549 Wed, 25 Oct 06 08:08 PM

CalifJim wrote:
Any luck finding another with the mixed conditional?

How about this one?

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'Let us start with the unusual verb form usurp upon. Did anyone look
it up in a dictionary?'

Silence.

'If you had, you would have found that usurp upon means to intrude
or encroach upon.'

J. M. Coetzee, Disgrace, p. 21
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Marius Hancu

Verbs, Conditionals, Mixed Conditionals

Tanit

#285553 Wed, 25 Oct 06 08:22 PM

I guess it should be a "standard" 3rd, shouldn't it?

'If you had (looked it up), you would have found that usurp upon means to intrude
or encroach upon.'

Tanit

Joined on Mon, Jul 31 2006

In the middle of the Mediterranean Sea

Senior Member (2,238)

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

CalifJim

#285577 Wed, 25 Oct 06 10:03 PM

I agree with Tanit. Unfortunately, the elision messes it up as a really clear example.

If I had a car, I would have driven there myself is the sort of thing we're talking about, right?

CJ

CalifJim

Marius Hancu

#286315 Fri, 27 Oct 06 04:09 PM

CalifJim wrote:
Any luck finding another with the mixed conditional?

How about this one, with could have instead of would have?
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Mr. Schultz was still collecting on policy, he was still selling beer ..., once or twice he disappeared for a day or two down to New York but still by and large he ran things long-distance, which couldn't have been a terribly comfortable way to do business if you happened to be by nature suspicious as he was ...

E.L. Doctorow, Billy Bathgate, p. 147
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