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Anonymous

#508125 Thu, 01 May 08 02:02 PM

Taka, I'm on you side! It never crossed my mind. Good point. New2Grammar.( I'm facing some problem with my computer so I'll won't be logging in until I find a solution.)

Anonymous

Grammar

Grammar Geek

#508136 Thu, 01 May 08 02:40 PM

It's just supposed to be a joke, suggesting that what we're doing here is not "real life." I suppose it's even possible the person who first came up with it was thinking about the "afterlife" (in heaven) as what's real, and this one doesn't count, but I doubt it. It's just at attempt at humor. Obviously we are living a real life, but if we were NOT, and this really is some sort of test run for our real life which is to folow, then the subjunctive would be perfectly correct.

Grammar Geek

Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006

Pennsylvania, USA

Veteran Member (16,101)

Barbara, who answers in American English.

Subjunctives, Jokes

Taka

#508193 Thu, 01 May 08 05:16 PM

Grammar Geek
It's just supposed to be a joke, suggesting that what we're doing here is not "real life."

Then it follows that the real life we're not doing and should do is the one with instruction, which seems to contradict with MM's interpretation...

Taka

Joined on Tue, Sep 7 2004

Japan

Senior Member (2,351)

Grammar, Jokes

Marius Hancu

#508198 Thu, 01 May 08 05:43 PM

Re the subjunctive mood use

Had this been a real life you would have been instructed where to go and what to do.'" placed in the past time

If this had been a real life you would have been instructed where to go and what to do.'

"Were this a real life you would be instructed where to go and what to do.'" placed in present time

If this were a real life you would be instructed where to go and what to do.'"

Means that in a real life you (would) get such instructions, but not in this test.

Marius Hancu

Joined on Wed, Apr 26 2006

Montreal, Canada

Veteran Member (11,673)

Subjunctives

Grammar Geek

#508201 Thu, 01 May 08 05:50 PM

You mean MH, not MM, right?

Looking at his last post, I don't think we disagree, do you?

Here's a paraphrase: This can't be rea life! Surely not! In real life, you get instructions about what do to with your life don't you? So this must be a test. If it had been real life, I would have gotten better guidance about what it is that I should be doing.

Grammar Geek

Taka

#508211 Thu, 01 May 08 06:45 PM

It's MH, right. Sorry.

I think the source of my confusion was this message from him/her.

Marius Hancu
Enjoy the life without knowing or without being instructed or programmed what to do in each situation. Enjoy the element of surprise in life and react to it. This is what humans, but not robots, do.

After reading the comment, I thought the real life implied in the passage in question, MH thought, was the one without instruction. But you think the real life is something WITH instruction; if we lead the real life, we will get some help or instruction when we are in trouble, so just relax. That's the message, right?

Taka

Grammar Geek

#508217 Thu, 01 May 08 06:56 PM

Maybe the message means "Don't worry so much about making sure you're doing what you THINK you're supposed to be doing." (Or, your shortened version, "Just relax" works well too.)

Grammar Geek

Taka

#508222 Thu, 01 May 08 07:16 PM

Grammar Geek

Maybe the message means "Don't worry so much about making sure you're doing what you THINK you're supposed to be doing." (Or, your shortened version, "Just relax" works well too.)

A-ha! A test surely isn't something during which we are instructed, so it gives us some pressure. When we take our life as such, we surely feel stressed every day. We should realize what life really is. It's something during which we will be guided, so it's OK for us to make some mistakes sometimes. We shouldn't try to be perfect every time. Just relax.

That is the message. Right, GG?