man of manners
Member
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2016
- Member Type
- Interested in Language
- Native Language
- Arabic
- Home Country
- Egypt
- Current Location
- Egypt
hi
I have a very confusing question.
choose the correct answer and provide evidence if possible:
I have a very confusing question.
choose the correct answer and provide evidence if possible:
If he (won/had won) the cup after he had played the match, I'd have been happy with him
...about this sentence, I'll make it easy for you:
I'll simplify the answer and you only need to show your approval or disapproval towards my answer - and of course if you have a new answer, it's welcome.
My answer is "won" and the evidence is just a logical explanation.
Note the following:
the past perfect after "if" is the Past Perfect Subjunctive but it's not a tense. It's ,in fact, an unreal tense and it indicates a situation different from what had already happened.
In usual if-clauses, we use only one verb in the if-clause but in such sentences we are using a conjunction that requires a certain sequence of tenses that cannot be ignored, so this sequence of tenses must be applied even in the if-clause, and the past perfect doesn't necessarily follow the "if" conjunction immediately as long as another sequence of tenses must be applied.
Also, we must notice that the conjunction "after" and its two sentences are all part of the if-clause so we haven't broken any rules as we have already used the past perfect - not immediately after "if" as usual but this time after "after" which is part of the if-clause.
I hope I have limited the possible answers now.
Thanks in advance!
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