...would run as if I???

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Kooyeen

#413281 Sun, 02 Sep 07 08:43 PM

Hi,
I'm in trouble.

I haven't slept in two days. I look like I've been beaten up...
If I want to make it "hypothetical", using conditionals, should I turn present perfects in past perfects? (have been ---> had been) Or can I leave it as it is?
After not sleeping for two days? I would look like I had been beaten up!

The same for this one. What should I do?
That tough guy is going to beat me up! That's why I'm running like I'm chased by one hundred lions!
If that tough guy wanted to beat me up? I would run like I was chased by one hundred lions!

Thanks in advance Smile [:)]

Kooyeen

Joined on Thu, Dec 22 2005

Italy

Senior Member (4,167)

If you don't have a sense of humor already, it's about time you buy one.

Conditionals

Gencebay90

#413296 Sun, 02 Sep 07 09:28 PM

Kooyeen wrote:
Hi,
I'm in trouble.

I haven't slept in two days. I look like I've been beaten up...
If I want to make it "hypothetical", using conditionals, should I turn present perfects in past perfects? (have been ---> had been) Or can I leave it as it is?
After not sleeping for two days? I would look like I had been beaten up!

The same for this one. What should I do?
That tough guy is going to beat me up! That's why I'm running like I'm chased by one hundred lions!
If that tough guy wanted to beat me up? I would run like I was chased by one hundred lions!

Thanks in advance

For the first one Past perfect can work well but present perfect is also possible in more informal situations, in everyday English because in normal situations after 'look like' a full sentence doesn't come; it is just so in everyday English

the same for the secnd one Smile [:)]

Gencebay90

Joined on Sun, Sep 2 2007

Turkey

Junior Member (91)

In a corner of every heart is a wounded place

Past Perfect, Present Perfect, Conditionals

CalifJim

#413300 Sun, 02 Sep 07 09:42 PM

Here's what you want.

I haven't slept in two days. I look like I've been beaten up.
After not sleeping for two days, I looked like I'd been beaten up.

That guy wants to beat me up. That's why I'm running like I'm being chased by a pack of wolves.
If that guy wanted to beat me up, I would run like I was being chased by a pack of wolves.

CJ

We don't have lions in the U.S., so there's some cultural dissonance with the lions in your sentences!

CalifJim

Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004

California

Veteran Member (18,309)

"There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche

Kooyeen

#413310 Sun, 02 Sep 07 10:12 PM

Thanks a lot.
You changed the second one, what I meant was something like this:

CalifJim wrote:
Here's what you want.

I haven't slept in two days. I look like I've been beaten up.
After not sleeping for two days, I looked like I'd been beaten up.

If I don't sleep for two days, I'll look like I've been beaten up! -----> If I didn't sleep for two days, I would look like I had been beaten up!

I wanted it to be part of a conditional sentence. My problem is that I'm not sure if I need to backshift perfect tenses in conditional sentences. I know present tenses do backshift, and past tenses don't (simple past doesn't become past perfect), so since the present perfect is actually a present tense, I guess I need to backshift it, don't I?
Thanks again Smile [:)]