Reply to Thread

Message:: [QUOTE="Orfew, post: 2714342, member: 74968"]I will still call it the subjunctive. It could also be called the "past unreal conditional". Not all language have ways to reference the imagination. One interesting thing about tense in English is that if the main verb in a phrase or sentence in in the simple past it is more unlikely than using the verb in the simple present. For example: Unlikely-If I drank a lot of gin I would be ill. Likely- If I drink a lot of gin I will be ill. Unlikely-If I went to Australia I would have to fly. Likely- If I go to Australia I will have to fly. These conditional sentences give people who are learning English a real headache. We also use tense to refer to factual information. Which is correct? The teacher said "Jupiter is the largest planet"The teacher said "Jupiter was the largest planet" The first one is correct because Jupiter has not stopped being the largest planet. Doug, as to the language of Chaucer, no one had to force it on me. I picked it up on my own before studying it formally. Yes, I was a strange kid. I still find Chaucer hilarious, and I return to him again and again for the pure joy of it. I remember standing in front of 450 students, most of whom would go on to be teachers, and telling them that in the supposed words of Socrates "the only thing I know is that I know nothing". I still consider this a proper attitude and way of life for a teacher, lecturer, or professor It is also an excellent reminder that the arrogance that sometimes emerges from the formally educated is ugly and unnecessary. When you study something in great detail it becomes obvious how much you do not know about it. I believe this especially applies, or should apply, to the formally educated. Thanks for the interesting post.[/QUOTE]

Create my FREE Account!

Log in or Sign up

Reply to Thread

Useful Searches