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Chan-Seung Lee
Joined: 03 Dec 2005
Posts: 1032
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 Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 11:00 pm Post subject: the difference |
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1.If I had lived here for three years, I would know the city better.
2.If I have lived here for three years, I will know the city better. |
Do those examples make sense?
If so, what's the difference between them?
Thanks. |
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myprofe
Joined: 29 Jun 2004
Posts: 425
Location: Madrid, Spain - Native Boston, USA
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| Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 11:14 pm Post subject: Re: the difference |
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These are the correct verb forms.
If I live here for three years, I will know the city better.
If I lived here for three years, I would know the city better.
If I had lived here for three years, I would have known the city better.
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I'm never going to learn if you don't correct my mistakes! |
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Lorikeet
Joined: 08 Oct 2005
Posts: 1877
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 11:41 pm Post subject: |
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My Prof is correct in his examples, but I also think it depends on the context.
I think "If I had lived here for three years, I would know the city better." is also possible. Here's the story: You come to visit me in my city. I have lived there for one year. You ask me many questions about the city, and I can't answer them all. Then you say, "Why can't you answer these questions? You have lived in this city for three years." I say, "If I had lived here for three years (but I haven't) I would know the city better (but I don't)." |
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myprofe
Joined: 29 Jun 2004
Posts: 425
Location: Madrid, Spain - Native Boston, USA
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| Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 1:34 am Post subject: I do / I did |
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| Lorikeet wrote: |
| If I had lived here for three years (but I haven't) I would know the city better (but I don't)." |
Correct! It depends whether we are referring to the past or the present.
Here are some more examples.
If I had known better I would have been a doctor. - past -
If I had known better I would be a doctor. - present -
If I had studied the lesson I would have known the answer to the question. - past -
If I had studied the lesson I would know the answer to the question. - present -
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I'm never going to learn if you don't correct my mistakes! |
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