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The decline of standards in the pluperfect conditional

4 replies

Tech · 28/01/2008 11:32

If I would have seen it, I would have told you.
NO NO NO NO NO
If I HAD seen it, I would have told you.

I blame the influence of Spanish on American English (the whole hubiera / habria confusion / melding).

Tech · 28/01/2008 11:57

Soupy, I have so much work to do that I can't face doing any of it. PW, oh yes...... don't even get me started on standards (lack of) among the MNHQ shower.

JJMumsnet · 28/01/2008 15:35

Tech · 28/01/2008 15:43

On Spanish, I meant people saying e.g. "Si le hubiera visto, se lo hubiera dicho"
instead of "Si le hubiera visto, se lo habria dicho"

Apologies for lack of accents, but you get the idea. I'm sure it wouldn't have been in a grammar book, as it's incorrect (as I understand it) in Spanish as well, but it is very commonly heard.

Tech · 28/01/2008 16:11

That's not quite the same meaning Blu. Would be better as "If I had been able to see it..."

"If I could have seen it" means something more akin to "If I'd had the opportunity to see it" rather than "If I had been able to see it".

I think.

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