Tense: would, will, went, and has gone

bmo · #1 20-Dec-2003, 21:52

This sentence: "As for the unpaid salaries the defunct company still owes its former employees, the management regrets that they would have to wait until all the dust has settled, and then file a claim in court."

1. The management regrets that they WILL have to wait... Is this better?
2. The company regrets IT will have to wait... Is this better?
3. And then file a claim .... Would it be better without AND?
4. How would you say this paragraph for it to be more like a native speaking?

This sentence: "You had a prestigious and high-paying job but you always complained about your boss. Now the company went belly up and you have been cleaning toilets, making minimum wage for a living."

1. The company HAS GONE belly up. Is this better?
2. Minimum wage should be singular? If there is not an official minimum wage, say $4.75, but if the man has been making at various low wages (through promotions), can "WAGES" be plural?

Thanks again, teachers. I can tell you this, English is hard, much harder than Chinese. Merry Christmas.

BMO

**RonBee** · #2 20-Dec-2003, 22:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmo

This sentence: "As for the unpaid salaries the defunct company still owes its former employees, the management regrets that they would have to wait until all the dust has settled, and then file a claim in court."

1. The management regrets that they WILL have to wait... Is this better?
2. The company regrets IT will have to wait... Is this better?
3. And then file a claim .... Would it be better without AND?
4. How would you say this paragraph for it to be more like a native speaking?

1. Yes, I think "will" is better there. (It indicates futurity and with a fair amount of certainty to boot.)
2. No, you can use it there but not to replace that. (Perhaps I will attempt an explanation later.)
3. Not really. Many would not object, but some (including MNY) would say that you can't use that as a conjunction.
4. The only thing I would do with that sentence is change would to will. (Say: "How would you say it so that it sounds like something that would be said by a native speaker?")

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmo

This sentence: "You had a prestigious and high-paying job but you always complained about your boss. Now the company went belly up and you have been cleaning toilets, making minimum wage for a living."

1. The company HAS GONE belly up. Is this better?
2. Minimum wage should be singular? If there is not an official minimum wage, say $4.75, but if the man has been making at various low wages (through promotions), can "WAGES" be plural?

1. Yes, I think so. (It's an event in the past connected to an event in the present. (Present perfect.))
2. There is only one minimum wage at a time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmo

Thanks again, teachers. I can tell you this, English is hard, much harder than Chinese. Merry Christmas.

Well, I have never tried to learn Chinese, but I imagine that it would be planty hard. :wink:

Merry Christmas.

:D

bmo · #3 20-Dec-2003, 23:10

Thanks, Ronbee.

BMO

**RonBee** · #4 21-Dec-2003, 01:33

Re:

As for the unpaid salaries the defunct company still owes its former employees, the management regrets that they would have to wait until all the dust has settled, and then file a claim in court.

Question: