much, and if I do all three at once it just won't/wouldn't work.

Status
Not open for further replies.
B

B45

Guest
I've come to the conclusion to focus on one thing at a time, because running a business, going to adult school, and taking care of the kids is just too much, and if I do all three at once it just won't/wouldn't work.


Are both okay here?
 

MikeNewYork

VIP Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
I would change the beginning to "I have made a decision to". I would change the ending to "if I try to do all three at once it just won't work."
 
B

B45

Guest
I would change the beginning to "I have made a decision to". I would change the ending to "if I try to do all three at once it just won't work."
I've made a decision to focus on one thing at a time, because running a business, going to adult school, and taking care of the kids is just too much, and if I try to do three at once it just won't work.

Better?
 
B

B45

Guest
I've made a decision to focus on one thing at a time, because running a business, going to adult school, and taking care of the kids is just too much, and if I try to do three at once it just won't work.

Better?

Do the corrections make it a natural sentence?
 

MikeNewYork

VIP Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
It is better but you dropped "all" from "all three". I would also consider breaking the sentence into two. Try a period after "much" and then start the next sentence with "If I...".
 
B

B45

Guest
It is better but you dropped "all" from "all three". I would also consider breaking the sentence into two. Try a period after "much" and then start the next sentence with "If I...".
I've made a decision to focus on one thing at a time, because running a business, going to adult school, and taking care of the kids is just too much. If I try to do all three at once it just won't work.

Why is it won't and not wouldn't? Maybe some people can handle all three tasks at once, so wouldn't that make it a possibility?
 

MikeNewYork

VIP Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
I chose those tenses, because the writer has already concluded that the current situation is "too much". If you want to use "wouldn't" you should change "try" to "tried".
 
B

B45

Guest
I chose those tenses, because the writer has already concluded that the current situation is "too much". If you want to use "wouldn't" you should change "try" to "tried".
What you mean is that, the writer has already tried to do all three and knows that it's too much to handle.

Whereas if he had wrote:

If I tried to do all three at once it just wouldn't work.

He hasn't tried it yet, and isn't even thinking about trying because he thinks that he won't be able to handle it.

Is this so?
 

MikeNewYork

VIP Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Yes. The second version makes it hypothetical, but the writer has already been there.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top