09-Aug-2005, 11:46
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 | Senior Member | | Join Date: Sep 2004 Country: U.S.A.
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 Re: will x 2
Quote: |
Originally Posted by MrPedantic I'm interested that you say that. I would have said it had exactly the same sense of 'for all time and any time'. It's possible though that my BrE ears hear the present perfect differently from AmE ears.
Let me see:
1. (It is true for all time, and at any time,) that if you heat water to 100C, it boils.
— ok.
2. (It is true for all time, and at any time,) that if Joe's late, he's stuck in traffic.
— if Joe is immortal.
3. (It is true for all time, and at any time,) that if a person has died, he is no longer alive.
— ok.
#1 and #3 were true in 4000BC, and they'll be true in 16000 AD. Even if no one exists, they remain true.
#2 is true while Joe exists; before and after which it is meaningless, rather than untrue.
But I may have misunderstood your point.
MrP | I can understand your point. However, I simply don't see it that way. It's just a case of different perspectives. - lots of fun bouncing it back and forth though.  |