Perfect Stranger Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
Grammar question no. 73: 2nd or 3rd conditional in this situation?
Hello there,
Here's a real-life situation I'd like to ask you about:
Two people are walking down the street and they stop by a steet vendor's stall. The seller asks them if they'd like to try the coffee he's selling. They agree and take the offered small cup and take a sip. They are repulsed by the sweetness of the coffee and reject to buy it. Then, after a while, one of them says:
If I had bought that coffee, it'd have been the worst purchase I would have ever made.
Q1: Is the use of the 3rd conditional correct in this situation? Should the 2nd conditional be used instead?
Q2: Is the way I would have ever made used in that sentence correct? Shouldn't it be I have ever made?
Q3: Is repulsed used correctly here?
Q4: Is reject followed by TO+INFINITIVE or ING-form of the verb?
Thank you!
Here's a real-life situation I'd like to ask you about:
Two people are walking down the street and they stop by a steet vendor's stall. The seller asks them if they'd like to try the coffee he's selling. They agree and take the offered small cup and take a sip. They are repulsed by the sweetness of the coffee and reject to buy it. Then, after a while, one of them says:
If I had bought that coffee, it'd have been the worst purchase I would have ever made.
Q1: Is the use of the 3rd conditional correct in this situation? Should the 2nd conditional be used instead?
Q2: Is the way I would have ever made used in that sentence correct? Shouldn't it be I have ever made?
Q3: Is repulsed used correctly here?
Q4: Is reject followed by TO+INFINITIVE or ING-form of the verb?
Thank you!
Top answer
1. Yes. No.
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1. Yes. No.
2. No. Yes.
3. It is possible, though it may be a bit extreme for the situation. (In fact, the main sentence seems a bit extreme too.)
4. "reject to buy it" is wrong. "reject buying it" is also wrong (less glaringly) or at best awkward. You could say "reject it" or "decline/refuse to buy it".
2. No. Yes.
3. It is possible, though it may be a bit extreme for the situation. (In fact, the main sentence seems a bit extreme too.)
4. "reject to buy it" is wrong. "reject buying it" is also wrong (less glaringly) or at best awkward. You could say "reject it" or "decline/refuse to buy it".
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