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Grammar question (conditions)

 
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raewon



Joined: 16 Jun 2009

PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 8:14 pm    Post subject: Grammar question (conditions) Reply with quote

I have a question about conditionals that I hope someone can help with.

(1) If I could have another me, I would play all day.

(2) If I had another me, I would play all day.

Is sentence (1) incorrect? Or are sentence (1) and (2) both correct? (in terms of grammar)

One of my trusty resources breaks down unreal conditions into 2 types:
hypothetical conditionals and counterfactual conditionals (which also includes speculations about impossible states or situations in the present. There is a brief mention of using different verb forms (other than the past tense) in the if clause for hypothetical conditionals, but nothing in the
counterfactual conditionals section.

Your help with this will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
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edwardcatflap



Joined: 22 Mar 2009

PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 8:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

They're both ok, though the idea is a bit strange. Why wouldn't you just say 'if I could, I'd play all day?'
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nathanrutledge



Joined: 01 May 2008
Location: Marakesh

PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 8:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't understand your question.

They are both correct. The first one is implying you can't have another me, but if you could, then you'd play all day. The second one is saying the same thing, except with no stipulations on whether or not you could have another you.

Why are you teaching something like this? This is very technical and if you're using these as examples, they suck. The sentences are ambiguous. If you had another you, you'd play all day? With what? If anything, you should say "If I had another me, I'd play with myself all day." So, vulgar joke, awkward sentence, no purpose behind it.
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raewon



Joined: 16 Jun 2009

PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 8:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the replies. I'm not teaching this, someone asked if
"If I could have" can be used instead of "If I had". It sounds OK to me.

"If I could, I'd play all day."
- I think the sentence was taken about someone talking about being cloned.

Thanks ^^.
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murmanjake



Joined: 21 Oct 2008

PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 9:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

To me it it seems that "If I could have [blank]" suggests the presence of something that prevents [blank] from being had.

"If I had" seems to be focused more purely on the result of the condition being fulfilled.


1. If I had a backpack, I wouldn't use this stupid murse.

VS.

2. If I could have a car here, I would travel more often.


I wouldn't use "If I could have" for sentence "1", because there's nothing really preventing me from having a backpack.

And it seems that "if I could have" is more appropriate for sentence "2" as I want to stress the impossibility of my having a car here.
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isitts



Joined: 25 Dec 2008
Location: Korea

PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

raewon wrote:
Thanks for the replies. I'm not teaching this, someone asked if
"If I could have" can be used instead of "If I had". It sounds OK to me.

"If I could, I'd play all day."
- I think the sentence was taken about someone talking about being cloned.

Thanks ^^.


Wonderful. Was this a Korean who asked you this? Another grammar question with no context established. (And no context as to why you're posing this question to us for that matter.)

Without knowing the situation, it's impossible to answer this question. Something can be grammatically correct but still be wrong for that situation.

I wouldn't get caught up in answering (or asking) questions about grammar taken out of context.
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some waygug-in



Joined: 25 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 6:32 am    Post subject: Re: Grammar question (conditions) Reply with quote

raewon wrote:
I have a question about conditionals that I hope someone can help with.

(1) If I could have another me, I would play all day.

It would be better if it said < If I could have another life...>
*******************


(2) If I had another me, I would play all day.

Same same.
***********************


Is sentence (1) incorrect? Or are sentence (1) and (2) both correct? (in terms of grammar)

One of my trusty resources breaks down unreal conditions into 2 types:
hypothetical conditionals and counterfactual conditionals (which also includes speculations about impossible states or situations in the present. There is a brief mention of using different verb forms (other than the past tense) in the if clause for hypothetical conditionals, but nothing in the
counterfactual conditionals section.

Your help with this will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.


I think the differences in the conditionals have been answered by previous posters, so there you are.


If I could have 3 heads, would I want them?
If I had 3 heads, I would be smarter. or would I just fight amongst my-selves?
If I had 3 heads, could I live with myself? (selves)???
If I had 3 heads, I'd need more hats.

If I had 3 heads, could I have 3 girlfriends?

If my girlfriend had 3 heads, would I love one more than the others?

If my 3-headed girlfriend had met a 2-headed man before me, would there still be room for me?

If I hadn't got into all these dumb speculations, would I have been more content with myself? (selves?????)

If the 3-headed chicken and the 2-headed monkey hadn't gone to the zoo, they never would have met the 5-eyed gorilla.

If you could have your past 3 minutes back, would you have read this thread?
http://www.eslflow.com/conditionalsrealunrealsituations.html
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