Haddie Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
Are both correct?
"We were having a nice chat but then she asked me about yesterday and I changed the subject"
"Why"
1) "Because then I would have had to talk about the whole incident and I didn't want to"
2) "Because then I would have to talk about the whole incident and I didn't want to"
In the above example 1 is the grammatically accurate sentence referring to something that my have happened at some point in the past but did not.
My question is whether 2 would also be correct in a situation like this if you mean your sentence as general statement instead of something that was only true in the past although you're referring to something that happened in the past?
"Why"
1) "Because then I would have had to talk about the whole incident and I didn't want to"
2) "Because then I would have to talk about the whole incident and I didn't want to"
In the above example 1 is the grammatically accurate sentence referring to something that my have happened at some point in the past but did not.
My question is whether 2 would also be correct in a situation like this if you mean your sentence as general statement instead of something that was only true in the past although you're referring to something that happened in the past?
Top answer
I don't think it's possible for (2) to be a general statement.
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Haddie Is 2 incorrect altogether?I think (1) is better, but (2) is certainly not glaringly incorrect. In conversation it probably would not be noticed as an error.
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