GRAMMAR POLICE - Which is correct?

[Longingforthesummer]

A. You could have chosen tons of others to follow, but you chose me.
B. You could have chosen tons of others to follow, but you choose me.

It could be either, depending on context. What is the context? A is technically correct when taken as a stand alone sentence. But if it's for a piece of narrative/creative writing, I can certainly see B working well.

I'd say "You could have chosen anyone to follow, but you have chosen me".

That means something different. “Chose me” means in the past, but not necessarily in the present. “Have chosen” means in the past but also continuing into the present.

It's definitely not tonnes!

I think either are fine but they do mean different things. Is B something like the present continuous tense (I've not idea really)? The difference changes the emphasis anyway. The correct one would be whichever best conveys your meaning as neither are grammatically wrong IMO.

Isn’t a tonne a metric weight approximately, but not, the same as an imperial ton?

I disagree with the poster upthread who remarked on a weight measurement being used for a number. ‘Tons’ seems perfectly good English to me, demotically. Tons = a lot of. Where ton(s) is used for heaviness it tends to be explicitly so: “Look at your suitcase! It must weigh a ton!” etc.

Yes, that right. Metrical tonnes and imperial tons are different measurements. But tons is the spelling used in British English when used colloquially. And if you mean a precise measurement, you need to research exactly if it’s metric or imperial.

As the British union man said, when he was talking about metric tonnes as opposed to imperial tons, "Tunnys, mate."

Chose or choose? Depends on the context.

Alright, "had chosen" then.

I came to say the same thing

A

You're also wrong then.

Agree with this.

"Tons of others" is not incorrect but is bad writing I'm afraid.

It’s not bad writing. It’s intelligible and everyday writing!

C. You could have chose tons of others to follow, but you chose me instead.

C. You could have chosen from tons of others to follow, but you chose me.😀

@SoupDragon no, tonnes would be correct usage if in the UK or anywhere else that uses metric measurements. Only in the US it would be tons. A tonne and a ton are two different units of measurement.

You could have choosed from tons of others to follow, but you chose me.

A

No, that’s not right. Tonnes and tons are two different measurements. But in the general colloquial use meaning generally heavy- “it weighed tons” - or generally a large amount - “ I’ve got tons of work” - it’s always tons in U.K. English. In fact, tonnes is relatively rare in the U.K., because the precise metric measurement isn’t usually what is meant.

A

I am well aware of what a tonne is. You're still wrong about the phrase "tons of..." The phrase predates metric measurements by many, many years.

We don't convert common sayings to metric measurements eg "Give her 2.54cm and she'll take 1609.34m!"

It's could definitely be either A or B. But A would be more commonly used. B could be used in more poetic speak.

A. You could have chosen tons of others to follow, but you chose me. STATEMENT

B. You could have chosen tons of others to follow, but you choose me. STATEMENT

A. You could have chosen tons of others to follow, but you chose me? QUESTION

B. You could have chosen tons of others to follow, but you choose me? QUESTION

Why you asking OP, is it something Boris said?