Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[rice07]

I'm a fresh in this forum learning how to compose article, as not being a native English-speaker, pardon my poor writing. With a hope for improving my ability over English, any comment is truly welcome- this's the way to find things that I didn't see. However, this's a real event that happened on...

Yesterday was the day that my elder son slipped and needed five stitches to heal. That's really a bad experience making me have the feeling- if I had been my son, he wouldn't have suffered so much. I did really want to take his place to have that pain while a doctor was dealing with the wound. When putting yourself in my shoes to be a father, the feeling's hard to describe ,and painful.

That's life,full of chanllenges,setbacks here and there when you make an effort in getting where you want to be. So you have to be tough enough, and hang in there at what you're aiming. Achieving not the kind of thing done overnight, it takes time,determination,action, and some passion I guess. More of that, my son has to tackle with in his lifetime. It's the reason there's nothing wrong with some suffering for him to be successful.( I comforted myself by thinking so at that moment.)

Character-building is crutial in childhood, which makes what the child to be in the future. As parents, we play the role of assisstants as best as we can, adding that nothing compared with having children towards positive, which is the ultimate goal for parents as well. As a result of character-building - with children towards positive, parents seem obviously content with this.

I finally take Bud's advice reposting this writing in here for comment, but I've made some minor revisions from the original. I hope that anyone knowing my mistakes or something needed to improve doesn't hesitate to raise your opinion. For most English learners in here, we have the same goal - to master, to be good at , or to have a good command of - English. Whereas, maybe next time I'll share my experience of learning English with everyone in here,despite, the fact that I'm not up to the grade yet.( I really got a late in learning English. But, do you believe that it'd been 3 years for me starting trying hard over it all by myself until I came here?)


Good day!

[rice07]

The 3 paragraph=>Achieving success

The 5 paragraph=>got a late start

[rice07]

The 3 paragraph=>3rd

The 5 paragraph=>5th

With a figurative expression- I'm borrowing from Peter to pay Paul.

Sorry for my carelessness!

[rice07]

The 2nd paragraph=>Yesterday was the day that my elder son slipped and needed five stitches in his lower lip to heal.

[rice07]

Hi

Hello! Hello! May I ask- anybody home(out there)! No response.

Be patient! Not before long will they be at home,I guess.

[rice07]

Hi Bud

Do you think that "setbacks here and there when you made an effort in getting where you want to be" in the 3rd paragraph should be "and setbacks are here and there when you made an effort in getting where you want to be"?

Have a nice day!

[asterix]

Yesterday was the day that my elder son slipped and needed five stitches to heal a cut to his leg. That's really a bad experience, making me have the feeling- if I could have been my son - he wouldn't have suffered so much. I did really want to take his place to have that pain while a doctor was dealing with the wound. If you could put yourself in my shoes as a father, you would know the feeling's hard to describe,and painful.

That's life - full of challenges and setbacks here and there.
When you make an effort in getting where you want to be, you have to be tough enough, and hang in there to achieve success. It's not the kind of thing done overnight, it takes time, determination,action, and some passion, I guess. That's what my son has to tackle in his lifetime. It's the reason there's nothing wrong with some suffering on his road through life. (I comforted myself by thinking so at that moment.)

Character-building is crucial in childhood, it makes the child what he will be in the future.
As parents, we play the role of assistants as best as we can, trying to ensure nothing but apositive result , which is the ultimate goal for all parents who love their children.

I have changed it in places to say what I understood you to mean.
I would always mention what the nature of the injury was, so I have put in a cut to his leg. If it were something else then you would insert that.
I have tried not to change your original writing any more than necessary .
I hope your son is OK now and has an impressive little scar to show his friends.

[rice07]

Hi Asterix

1.Thanks for your time to help me get correctios and offering me your concern for my son(he's doing very well)! You're pretty nice,especially at guessing what I was trying to convey before making corrections for me(due to my lack of expertise in English).I'm really glad about that!

2.I'm a little bit confused with subjunctive mood,which was said in two books that was launched by two different publishers giving the same opinion with this point. They said that the following structure should be used when talking about past situations that did not happen.

If+s+had+p.p....,s+would/could/might/should/ought to +have +p.p.....

And there's a minor difference from yours in this case(your correction in my composition)-

If+s+could+have+p.p...,s+would+have +p.p.....

I don't mean to suspect or indicate the irony is that you're wrong and the theories in those two books were definitely right but to explain my confusion which sides I sould hold.whereas,please don't take this as crticism.I'm not the kind of person who just wants to hear what the talks he loves,and that's why I'm here asking for your comment-to learn natrual English and things that I didn't see. With a greatest respect,Teacher,I think there's a difference out there. May I have your further clarification over it? I would appreciate if I may!

3.Regarding "Character-building is crucial in childhood,it makes the child what he will be in the future." , is a conjunction "and" between those two sentences needed in here?

=>Character-building is crucial in childhood,and it makes the child what he will be in the future. or

=>Character-building is crucial in childhood; it makes the child what he will be in the future.

4.I'm sorry for bothering you so much,particularly Christmas is bearing down on us.I think there's no rush to deal with those questions above,so just leave them being there until Christmas holidays are passed.

Season's greetings

[rice07]

The point 2.=>"With a greatest respect" should be "With the greatest respect.

[asterix]

[rice07]

hi

[rice07]

Hi Asterix

1.In my shorthand,I mean-"does modal verb could have to be used in the following case?"

Example:(your correction to my composition)

If I could have been my son,he wouldn't have suffered so much.

My original writing:If I had been my son,he wouldn't have suffered so much.

In fact,I now think that "I were to be my son,he wouldn't suffer so much" is better ,especially to convey the hypothesis in this case,because this structure strongly indicates that it's impossible for the situation to happen.

Example:

Truth: The sun doesn't rise in the west.

Subjunctive mood: If the sun were to rise in the west,how surprised the sunflower would be.

What's your opinion to this point?

2.Here I've got another examples in the following from those two grammar books that I mentioned earlier.

If:unreal past situation

To talk about past situations that didn't happen,we use a past perfect tense in the if-clause,and would have+past participle in the other part of the sentence.

If+past perfect;would+have+past participle.

If you had asked me,I would have told you.

**12** (Not If you would have asked me,I would have told you.)

-----(Not If you asked me,I would have told you.)

-----(Not If you had asked me,I didn't tell you.)

-----(Truth: You didn't ask me,and I didn't tell you.)

I'd have been in bad trouble if Jane hadn't helped me.

(Truth:Jane helped me,and I wasn't in bad trouble.)

3.Definitely,it's impossible for me to be my son.Whereas,I used an unreal past situation for subjunctive mood.

=>If I had been my son,he wouldn't have suffered so much.


As far as I'm aware that I remember not seeing structure like "If +s+could+have+p.p....,s+would+have+p.p...." in subjunctive moods which talk about past situations that didn't happen.But it doesn't mean I'm right due to my poor English.So that's why I raised my opinion in here.I really want to know whether either way will do or not?
(either "If+s+[/b]could+have+p.p...,s+would+have+p.p..." or "If+s+had+p.p...,s+would+have+p.p..." will do?)=>but it seems that there's a dilemma between structures like "If +s+could+have +p.p..,s+would+have+p.p...." and "If you would have asked me,I would have told yoy."=>see 2. example **12**


Teacher Asterix,with your swift reply,you've won the recpect of me. I guess nothing's going to change our devotion to teaching and learning even the coming of Christmas,right? Nevertheless,in here, I would suggest that,if you could,please laid those questions down until the Christmas vacation went past.Thanks a lot,I'm deeply indebted to you!

Have a nice vacation

[rice07]

Hi Asterix

do were to and were able to have the same meaning in subjunctive moods?

[rice07]

Hi Asterix

1.Now I'm ok with "If +S+were to+v...,s+would +v...".I believe you're right!Thanks for your information!

2. Would you just explain me the dilemma that I think between "If I +could+have been my son,he wouldn't have suffered so much." and"If you would have asked me,I would have told you.(see 2. example**12**=>in the above reply.)

[asterix]

To be able to do something means to have the power, ability, skill, or means to do something.

If I were able to speak Chinese, she would understand me means that I can't speak Chinese, but if I could, and did, she would understand me.

If I were to speak Chinese she would understand me. In this sentence it is not clear whether I can speak Chinese or not, only that if I spoke it she would understand me.

It is a subtle difference, but it is possible to speak Chinese, whereas it is not possible for you to be your son.
I understand your feeling very well, but your original attempt did not quite express it clearly.
If I had been my son he would not have suffered so much, implies that you would have done something different to what your son did that would have alleviated his suffering.
For example: If I had been my son I would have demanded a pain killing injection.
What you wanted to say was that you wished you could have, literally, taken your son's place, so that you could feel the pain of the doctor stitching up his wound instead of him.

If you had asked me I would have told you is the correct way to express your truth #12.
The negative of that is: If you had asked me I wouldn't have told you.
Or: If you hadn't asked me I wouldn't have told you.
Thanks for your Christmas wishes - Happy Christmas to you.