Forum newsfeeds |  | | Notices | You are welcome to answer questions posted in the Ask a Teacher forum as long as your suggestions, help, and advice reflect a good understanding of the English language. If you are not a teacher, you will need to state that clearly at the top of your post. Please note, all posts are moderated by our in-house language experts, so make sure your suggestions, help, and advice house the kind of information an international language teacher would offer. If not, and your posts do not contribute to the topic in a positive way, they will be subject to deletion. | 
05-Dec-2003, 09:26
| | | Could you correct this conditional sentence? Dear teacher,
Would you correct this sentence? It is part of a work I have to do for my oral exam and I don't know why it sounds odd.
"She said she would've genetically engineered her daughters if she had been able to do so. She would've liked them to be slimmer, taller and as intelligent as science could have done."
Thank you.
Regards
Jorge | 
05-Dec-2003, 11:22
|  | Moderator | | Join Date: Feb 2003 Country: USA
Posts: 13,009
Current Location: North Carolina First Language: English Thanks: 57
Thanked 672 Times in 605 Posts
| | They don't seem particlularly odd to me. I think you can improve some on the second sentence tho. Try: - She would've liked them to have been slimmer, taller and as intelligent as science could manage.
What do you think?
:)
__________________ ~R | 
05-Dec-2003, 14:14
| | | RonBee,
Yes, I like your suggestion.
If I used "could have managed" instead of "could manage" . Would it change the meaning? Would it be wrong?
I think that if science had been able to do that before It certainly can do it now so "could manage" would be more appropiate.
Please reply if you don't mind.
Thank you.
Jorge | 
05-Dec-2003, 14:26
|  | Moderator | | Join Date: Feb 2003 Country: USA
Posts: 13,009
Current Location: North Carolina First Language: English Thanks: 57
Thanked 672 Times in 605 Posts
| | Quote: |
Originally Posted by smee1 RonBee,
Yes, I like your suggestion.
If I used "could have managed" instead of "could manage" . Would it change the meaning? Would it be wrong?
I think that if science had been able to do that before It certainly can do it now so "could manage" would be more appropiate.
Please reply if you don't mind.
Thank you.
Jorge | Yes, I think so. But I am not sure how it would change the meaning. I would not use "could have managed" there at all.
Re: - She would've liked them to have been slimmer, taller and as intelligent as science could manage.
That could be seen as an elliptical sentence. Thus, the entire sentence would be: - She would've liked them to have been slimmer, taller and as intelligent as science could manage to make them.
As I said, I am not even sure what the sentence would mean with "could have managed" there. Maybe I will be able to give you a better explanation after I have had my coffee.
:wink:
__________________ ~R | 
05-Dec-2003, 14:50
|  | VIP Member | | Join Date: Sep 2003 Country: Canada
Posts: 12,997
Current Location: China First Language: English Thanks: 0
Thanked 16 Times in 16 Posts
| | Re: Could you correct this conditional sentence? "She said she would've genetically engineered her daughters if she had been able to do so. She would've liked them to have been slimmer, taller and as intelligent as science could have done."
She would like them to be (infinitives)
She would have liked them to have been (present perfect)
:D | 
05-Dec-2003, 18:04
|  | Moderator | | Join Date: Feb 2003 Country: USA
Posts: 13,009
Current Location: North Carolina First Language: English Thanks: 57
Thanked 672 Times in 605 Posts
| | Re: Could you correct this conditional sentence? Quote: |
Originally Posted by Casiopea "She said she would've genetically engineered her daughters if she had been able to do so. She would've liked them to have been slimmer, taller and as intelligent as science could have done."
She would like them to be (infinitives)
She would have liked them to have been (present perfect)
:D | How about : - She would have liked them to have been slimmer, taller and as intelligent as science could make them.
:)
__________________ ~R | 
05-Dec-2003, 18:12
| | Editor, UsingEnglish.com | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: UK
Posts: 25,130
Current Location: Phnom Penh First Language: English Thanks: 2
Thanked 242 Times in 232 Posts
| | Re: Could you correct this conditional sentence? Quote: |
Originally Posted by RonBee She said she would've genetically engineered her daughters if she had been able to do so. She would have liked them to have been slimmer, taller and as intelligent as science could make them.
:) | How about :
She said she would've genetically engineered her daughters if she had been able to do so. She would have liked them slimmer, taller and as intelligent as science could make them.
??  | 
05-Dec-2003, 19:22
|  | Moderator | | Join Date: Feb 2003 Country: USA
Posts: 13,009
Current Location: North Carolina First Language: English Thanks: 57
Thanked 672 Times in 605 Posts
| | Re: Could you correct this conditional sentence? Quote: |
Originally Posted by tdol Quote: |
Originally Posted by RonBee She said she would've genetically engineered her daughters if she had been able to do so. She would have liked them to have been slimmer, taller and as intelligent as science could make them.
:) | How about :
She said she would've genetically engineered her daughters if she had been able to do so. She would have liked them slimmer, taller and as intelligent as science could make them.
??  | I don't know. I think I would keep have been there.
:)
__________________ ~R | 
06-Dec-2003, 20:49
| | Editor, UsingEnglish.com | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: UK
Posts: 25,130
Current Location: Phnom Penh First Language: English Thanks: 2
Thanked 242 Times in 232 Posts
| | Just trying to cut out words.  | 
07-Dec-2003, 10:58
| | | Thank you teachers. you are enlightening me and I'm glad for your concern.
It is going to be an oral exam next thursday and I think that if I tell the examinator "She would have liked them to have been taller, slimmer and as intelligent as science could manage" it is going to be good.
You know, I have to use the structures and vocabulary we have been learning this term and it occurred to me making a long paragraph which includes some of those. I wish I could pronounce it correctly too.
Thank you again.
Jorge. | | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes | Linear Mode |
Posting Rules
| You may post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts HTML code is Off | | | All times are GMT. The time now is 21:55. |  |