In Constructions^x, Simple past^x

First, let me make a few observations. 1. All wishes are counterfactual. It makes no sense to wish for what you already have. The Queen of England does not say, "I wish I were the Queen of England". If I am six feet tall, I do not say, "I wish I were six feet tall". So every wish is a wish...

Hello Guest 1. Parallelism = the use of parallel constructions, e.g. 'I came, I saw, I conquered.' Here the construction is repeated 3 times, but the meaning is different each time. 2. Restatement = saying the same thing again or in a new way, e.g. 'I thought about the Virginia Convention....

This is not a present perfect. It is a modal construction; the modal is "may". In this context, "may"* means "it is possible that ... ". Thus, "We believe they may reach the island on a raft" is "We believe that it is possible that they will reach the island on a raft". And "We believe they...

I've posted this in another thread: would + base form of verb = simple conditional (would go) would + have + past participle = perfect conditional (would have gone) Both are usually seen in conditional sentences Types II and III. Type II: "If it started to rain now, I would stay at home." Type...

Hello, Dave would + base form of verb = simple conditional would + have + past participle = perfect conditional I don't know those by any other names, but of course it is probable that there may be authors who may give those different names. In my mother tongue, the "conditional" used to be...

Andrei, I know you usually worry aobut the correct use of capitalisation, and your posts are great help. I seldom comment on it myself because I know that many people deliberately avoid using capitals in message forums, emails, chatrooms. It seems to be an accepted convention. Your reminders,...