WISH / IF ONLY / IT'S TIME / SUPPOSE

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Dita

#133857 Sun, 04 Sep 05 05:33 PM

Hello,

I'm confused about hypothetical menaing. Can you please explain me why in thiscaseI have to use

WOULD:
I wish you WOULD NOT DO that.It drives me crazy!
- I wanted to put there HAD NOT DONE instead of WOULD NOT DO

SUPPOSE:
Just suppose someone RECOGNISED you. They'll probably have reported you to the police.

Suppose we ARRIVE a bit earlier. Then we 'll be able to help Mary with food.

By both these cases I would put past tense - RECOGNISED and ARRIVED. So why are there different tenses?

I'D RATHER:
I'd rather we STAYED at home tonight.I'm a bit tired.

-I wanted to put STAY. What about meaning of these sentences?

thank you in advance for help

Dita

Dita

Joined on Sat, Sep 3 2005

New Member (35)

paco2004

#133954 Mon, 05 Sep 05 12:07 AM

Hello Dita

I'm also an English learner. May I put my two cents?

WOULD:
[1] I wish you would not do that.　
[2] I wish you had not done that.
#1 and #2 are different in the meaning. #1 is: I want you to stop doing that, but I guess it would be impossible for you. #2 is: I regret your doing that in the past.

SUPPOSE:
[1] Suppose someone recognized you.
[2] Suppose someone recognize you.
#1 implies someone's recognizing you is almost unrealistic, whereas #2 implies it is possible.

I'D RATHER:
[1] I'd rather we stayed at home tonight.
[2] I'd rather we stay at home tonight.
There is not much difference in the meaning between #1 and #2. #2 sounds a bit more formal and a bit more polite. So people prefer the construct of #1 when they use it in requesting something to other person politely. (EX) I'd rather you stayed at home tonight.

paco

paco2004

Joined on Wed, Nov 17 2004

Senior Member (4,095)

In Japan today even dogs are learning how to bow-wow in English.

Dita

#134053 Mon, 05 Sep 05 09:27 AM

thanks a lot

Dita

Dita

goldmund

#134104 Mon, 05 Sep 05 01:49 PM

Dear Paco,

I hope you do not mind if I disagree on two points.

I believe we may say «I wish you would not do that» when it is possible to stop doing that. A mother may say it to a child when a child misbehaves.

I believe we may also say «Suppose someone recognized you» when it is possible that someone will recognize you.

But it is possible that I am wrong. Smile [:)]

Kindest regards, Smile [:)]

Goldmund

goldmund

Joined on Fri, Jun 10 2005

Regular Member (581)

«Tout homme peut dire véritablement; mais dire ordonnément, prudemment et suffisamment, peu d'hommes le peuvent.» - Michel de Montaigne

Regards

paco2004

#134111 Mon, 05 Sep 05 02:19 PM

Hello Goldmund

Really? I just put what I'd learned from my grammar books and dictionaries. I'd like to hear opinions from native speakers. But frankly speaking, I've learned through the experience here that it is tough to know exact senses of such things like modals and subjunctive moods, because what native speakers mean by using this sort of collocation is slightly different from person to person.

By the way I've noticed I made a mistake in my writing. I hope Ms Dita will read this.　

#1 sounds a bit more formal and a bit more polite. So people prefer the construct of #1 when they use it in requesting something to other person politely. (EX) I'd rather you stayed at home tonight.

Best Regards

paco

paco2004

Regards, Grammar, Modals, Subjunctives

pieanne

#134134 Mon, 05 Sep 05 03:53 PM

Golmund, I agree with you.

A says to B: "I wish you wouldn't smoke in the bedroom" implies the hope/possibility that B will be willing to be smoking somewhere else next time (next night?). It depends on B's goodwill to stop smoking in the bedroom, so it's still possible.

"I wish you didn't smoke in the bedroom" sounds more hopeless.

"Suppose someone recognized you": it's an eventuality, but it's possible.